There is a moment in the Ebenezer trailer where Johnny Depp, holding a candle in a dark room, looks genuinely frightened. That single shot tells you everything about what Ti West is doing with this story. This is not the cosy, twinkling version of A Christmas Carol that plays on television every December. This is the ghost story underneath it, brought back to the surface.
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures — Official Trailer/Poster via YouTube
Paramount Pictures released the second official Ebenezer trailer on 1 October 2026, and it has kept building buzz ever since. The film, also known as Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, reaches theatres in the United States on 13 November 2026, just ahead of Thanksgiving. It is directed by Ti West, the horror filmmaker behind X, Pearl and MaXXXine, from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern, adapting Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol. The Ebenezer trailer makes one thing clear from its opening seconds: the spirits in this version are not gentle guides. They are hauntings.
What the Ebenezer trailer actually shows
The Ebenezer trailer opens on a bitter, miserly Scrooge, a wealthy businessman who values money above everything and coldly turns away pleas for charity. Then the supernatural begins. His dead business partner, Jacob Marley, appears with a warning, and the three ghosts arrive one after another. The footage leans into dark corridors, graveyard imagery and candlelit rooms, with flashes of dark comedy cutting through the gloom. The trailer’s tagline sums up the pitch in one line: “The name you know, the story you don’t.”
That is a fair warning. West has described the film as a supernatural revenge thriller in some coverage, and the Ebenezer trailer certainly plays like one. The ghosts get solid, physical forms here rather than soft, dreamlike ones, and there is even a bed sequence in which Scrooge is dragged down through his own mattress. It is a striking image, and it shows how far this version is willing to go beyond the familiar telling.
The ghosts get the starriest casting
One reason the Ebenezer trailer has travelled so far is its cast. Johnny Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge, in what several outlets note is his first major Hollywood studio film in eight years. Around him, the ensemble reads like a roll call of beloved British screen talent, and the trailer gives each of the spirits a distinct presence.
Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s former business partner, whose ghostly visit sets the whole story in motion. Andrea Riseborough plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, while Tramell Tillman, fresh from Severance, plays the Ghost of Christmas Present. The third ghost, the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, is kept more in shadow in the footage, which feels deliberate. The less you see of that one, the more it unsettles you.
The Cratchits, Fred and the rest of the family
The human side of the story matters just as much, and the Ebenezer trailer does not forget it. Rupert Grint plays Bob Cratchit, Scrooge’s underpaid clerk, with Daisy Ridley as Emily Cratchit. Sam Claflin plays Fred, Scrooge’s nephew, the warm-hearted relative Scrooge keeps pushing away. Arthur Conti plays the young Ebenezer, showing the boy behind the miser, while Ellie Bamber plays Isabel Fezziwig. Charlie Murphy and Henry Lloyd-Hughes round out the ensemble in supporting roles.
This casting is doing real storytelling work. Seeing Grint, so many people’s Ron Weasley, as the exhausted clerk immediately tells you where the film’s heart sits. The Cratchit household is the emotional counterweight to Scrooge’s cold counting house, and the Ebenezer trailer keeps cutting back to that warmth between the scares.
Why Ti West changes the story
Hiring Ti West was always going to change the temperature of this material. His horror films are slow, patient and deeply atmospheric, and the Ebenezer trailer carries that same patience. Long, quiet shots. Rooms that feel too dark. A joke that lands, then curdles. Rather than rushing through Dickens’ plot points, the trailer suggests a film that lets dread build, scene by scene, until the ghosts feel earned rather than decorative.
There is also a neat piece of history in the casting. Depp appeared in front of audiences at San Diego Comic-Con in full Scrooge costume, in character, before the first teaser arrived on 23 July 2026. Production took place in Dublin and London in early 2026, with Emma Watts producing for Paramount Pictures in association with Domain Entertainment, and Wattsco and IN.2 Films credited as production companies. The film has not yet been rated, according to Paramount’s trailer announcement, and credits remain subject to change.
Release dates and what is not announced yet
The Ebenezer trailer confirms the headline date: United States theatres on 13 November 2026, a Friday the 13th opening just before Thanksgiving. Paramount Pictures Australia has listed an Australian cinema release on 12 November 2026. Bollywood Hungama has reported an India cinema release on 27 November 2026, though readers should check local listings closer to the date, since international rollouts can shift. No streaming or OTT date has been announced yet, and no OTT platform has been named. The film is a theatrical release first, and any streaming date will come after its cinema run.
For viewers planning a trip to the cinema, the timing is part of the joke and part of the strategy. A dark, gothic Christmas ghost story arriving in mid-November, weeks before Christmas itself, gives it room to breathe before the holiday rush. It also gives audiences a reason to see Dickens’ story as a horror film first and a redemption tale second, which is exactly how the Ebenezer trailer sells it.
Frequently asked questions
When does Ebenezer release?
Ebenezer releases in United States theatres on 13 November 2026. Australia follows on 12 November 2026, and Bollywood Hungama has reported an India release on 27 November 2026.
Who plays Scrooge in Ebenezer?
Johnny Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge. Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint plays Bob Cratchit, and Andrea Riseborough and Tramell Tillman play the Ghosts of Christmas Past and Present.
Who directed Ebenezer?
Ti West directed Ebenezer, from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern. West is known for the horror films X, Pearl and MaXXXine.
Is Ebenezer based on A Christmas Carol?
Yes. Ebenezer is a dark, gothic reimagining of Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella A Christmas Carol, with the tagline “The name you know, the story you don’t.”
Is there an OTT release date for Ebenezer?
No. No streaming date or OTT platform has been announced yet. The film is releasing in theatres first.
Where can I watch the Ebenezer trailer?
Watch the official Trailer 2 from Paramount Pictures below.
The Ebenezer trailer works because it trusts the ghost story at the centre of Dickens’ tale. Depp looks properly haunted, the spirits look properly frightening, and the warmth of the Cratchit family gives the scares something to protect. If the full film keeps that balance, this could be the Christmas Carol people talk about long after the holidays are over. Keep an eye on local listings for your city’s release date, and watch the trailer again with the lights low. It plays even better that way.
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