Actor Johnny Depp is to play the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge in new big screen adaptation of Charles Dickens’ festive classic A Christmas Carol.
Johnny Depp is to play Ebenezer Scrooge in new big screen adaptation of A Christmas Carol.
The 62-year-old actor will tackle the lead role in a new take on Charles Dickens’ festive classic, which is titled Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, and is set to be directed by Ti West, the moviemaker behind the X horror film franchise.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Andrea Riseborough is also attached to star in the project which has been described as “a thrilling ghost story set in Dickens’ London, following one man’s supernatural journey to face his past, present and future and fight for a second chance.”
The publication reports the Paramount Pictures studio is in final negotiations to pick up the project while a tentative release date has been set for November 13, 2026.
It’s the second big screen project based on the book heading into production with Willem Dafoe set to play Scrooge in another movie for Warner Bros. being directed by Robert Eggers.
Depp has started getting back to acting following his widely publicised legal battles with his ex-wife Amber Heard. He returned to the big screen in 2023 French language film Jeanne du Barry, which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival in 2023, and he’s also going to be seen in new movie Day Drinker, which is due for release next year.
In Day Drinker, Depp was paired with director Marc Webb and co-star Penélope Cruz for a shoot in Spain which is believed to have wrapped this month.
In a statement announcing the project, filmmaker Marc said: “We’re in a beautiful location with a fantastic crew and a thrilling, ferocious story to tell.
“This is gonna be fun.”
The film marks Penelope’s fourth collaboration with Johnny after Blow, Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides and Murder on the Orient Express.
Day Drinker follows the story of a private-yacht bartender, played by Madelyn Cline, who becomes entangled with a mysterious guest onboard, portrayed by Johnny.
As their connection deepens, they are drawn into a dangerous game involving a criminal figure played by Penelope.
Additional cast members include 25-year-old Manu Ríos, 27-year-old Arón Piper, 48-year-old Juan Diego Botto and newcomer Anika Boyle.
Johnny Depp to play Scrooge in A Christmas Carol
