Ebenezer in theatres today is the news Johnny Depp fans have waited eight years to hear. The gothic retelling of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol opens in cinemas in the United States and the United Kingdom on Friday, 13 November 2026, with Depp playing Ebenezer Scrooge in his first major Hollywood studio film since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018.
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures — Official Trailer/Poster via YouTube
Directed by Ti West, the horror filmmaker behind the X trilogy, Ebenezer in theatres today arrives with a tagline that sums up its pitch in one line: “The name you know, the story you don’t.” This is not the gentle, fireside Christmas Carol most audiences grew up with. West has turned Dickens’ 1843 novella into a haunted-house ghost story, full of candlelit corridors, jump scares and a Scrooge who looks genuinely frightened by the spirits visiting him.
Where Ebenezer is releasing today
Ebenezer in theatres today opens wide in the United States and the United Kingdom, and it is a theatres-only release for now. There is no streaming debut alongside it, and no confirmed streaming date has been announced yet. The film is expected to reach Paramount+ after its theatrical run, but that is an expectation, not an announced date.
Some overseas markets got the film a little earlier. Ebenezer opened in South Korea and France on 11 November, in Germany on 12 November, and in Australia on 12 November. For audiences in India, the film has been reported for a 27 November release, according to Bollywood Hungama, though that date has not been separately confirmed by Paramount. If you are planning to watch it this weekend, your local listings are the safest check, because the rollout is staggered by territory.
The film runs for 1 hour and 56 minutes. In the United States it is rated PG-13 for frightening material, and in the United Kingdom it carries a 12A certificate.
What the critics are saying
The first reviews landed on 12 November, a day before release, and the verdict is genuinely split. Ebenezer in theatres today is hovering around the 50 percent mark on Rotten Tomatoes, with ComingSoon reporting a 54 percent Tomatometer score from 56 reviews at the time of writing, while audiences on IMDb have rated it 7.1 out of 10. Those numbers will keep moving as more reviews come in, but the early pattern is clear: critics cannot agree on Depp’s Scrooge.
The Hollywood Reporter’s review, carried by KZK101, calls the film a creepily effective comeback vehicle for Depp and praises the gothic atmosphere Ti West builds around the familiar story. ClutchPoints went further, handing the film a B+ grade and calling Depp’s Scrooge a possible Christmas miracle. On the other side, The A.V. Club was unimpressed, arguing that Depp’s larger-than-life performance overwhelms the film, while Screen Daily dismissed it as an uninspiring drama that puts caricature ahead of character.
That divide is worth knowing before you book a ticket. If you love Depp’s eccentric, theatrical style, the positive reviews suggest you will have a good time. If you prefer a quieter, more traditional Scrooge, the sceptical reviews are a fair warning. What nobody disputes is that the film looks striking, with its Victorian London shot in deep shadow and candlelight.
It is also worth noting that an early test screening, reported by Puck, scored the film 80 out of 100, well above the historical average of 72 for such screenings, with Depp himself scoring 86. Test screenings are not reviews, but they suggest general audiences have responded more warmly than some critics.
The story: Dickens with a horror twist
The plot follows the bones of A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserly businessman in Victorian London who has shut out everyone around him. On Christmas Eve, the ghost of his dead business partner Jacob Marley warns him that three spirits will visit him: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Each one forces Scrooge to confront a different part of his life, and by morning he has one final chance to change his ways and make amends with the people he has wronged.
What Ti West changes is the mood. The spirits are not gentle guides here. They arrive like figures from a ghost story, and the film leans into the supernatural dread that was always hiding inside Dickens’ tale. The screenplay, by Nathaniel Halpern, keeps the story faithful to the novella while letting West stage it as a gothic horror film, complete with creaking houses, foggy streets and sudden scares. That is why the film carries a PG-13 rating rather than a family-friendly one, and why younger children may find parts of it frightening.
Cast and crew
Johnny Depp leads the cast as Ebenezer Scrooge, and the supporting cast is stacked with familiar names. Ian McKellen plays Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint is Bob Cratchit, Daisy Ridley plays Emily Cratchit, and Sam Claflin is Fred, Scrooge’s nephew. Andrea Riseborough plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman plays the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Robert Strange plays the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. Ellie Bamber appears as Belle, Scrooge’s lost love, and Arthur Conti plays the young Ebenezer.
Behind the camera, Ti West directs from Nathaniel Halpern’s screenplay. Emma Watts produces the film for Paramount Pictures, with Black Label Media, Motel Mojave, Wattsco and IN.2 Films also involved. Filming took place in Dublin and London, beginning in January 2026 and wrapping in July 2026.
Depp promoted the film in full Scrooge costume at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2026, where the first trailer made its debut. The second official trailer followed on 1 October 2026. The film held its London premiere at Leicester Square on 9 November, with Depp and Rupert Grint walking the red carpet together.
Why this release matters for Johnny Depp
Ebenezer in theatres today is more than a Christmas release. For Depp, it is a comeback eight years in the making. His last major studio film was Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018, and the years since have been dominated by legal battles and independent European films rather than Hollywood tentpoles. A Paramount Pictures Christmas release, directed by a respected horror filmmaker and built entirely around his performance, is a deliberate return to the big screen.
That is also why the film’s tagline lands the way it does. “The name you know, the story you don’t” works as a description of the movie and as a quiet statement about Depp himself. Whether audiences embrace the comeback will show in the opening weekend numbers, which arrive over the next few days.
Should you watch Ebenezer this weekend?
If you enjoy gothic horror, Victorian atmosphere and Depp at his most theatrical, Ebenezer in theatres today is an easy recommendation. The 1 hour 56 minute runtime is tight for a Christmas epic, the cast is strong across the board, and the film offers something genuinely different from the many cosy versions of A Christmas Carol that fill television every December.
If you are taking children, check the PG-13 guidance first. The frightening material warning is real, and this Scrooge is closer to a ghost story than a family fable. And if you are in India, remember the reported date is 27 November, so the film is not in Indian cinemas today.
Either way, Ebenezer in theatres today marks the return of one of Hollywood’s most recognisable stars to the kind of big-screen event film he built his career on. The spirits have arrived. The only question left is whether audiences will follow Scrooge’s example and give Depp a second chance.
Watch the official trailer
Watch the official Trailer 2 for Ebenezer in theatres today below, released by Paramount Pictures on 1 October 2026. It shows Depp’s Scrooge, the three spirits and the gothic London that Ti West has built for this version of the story.
Image Credit: Paramount Pictures — Official Trailer/Poster via YouTube
Frequently asked questions
Is Ebenezer releasing today?
Yes. Ebenezer opens in theatres in the United States and the United Kingdom on Friday, 13 November 2026. It opened earlier in South Korea, France, Germany and Australia, and an India release has been reported for 27 November.
Who plays Scrooge in Ebenezer?
Johnny Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge. It is his first major Hollywood studio film since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018.
Who directs Ebenezer?
Ti West, the director of the X horror trilogy, directs Ebenezer from a screenplay by Nathaniel Halpern.
What is the runtime of Ebenezer?
Ebenezer runs for 1 hour and 56 minutes. It is rated PG-13 in the United States for frightening material.
What are the early reviews saying about Ebenezer?
Reviews are mixed. Ebenezer in theatres today sits around the 50 percent mark on Rotten Tomatoes, with some critics praising Depp’s comeback and the gothic atmosphere, and others finding his performance too theatrical. IMDb users have rated it 7.1 out of 10.
Where can I watch Ebenezer online?
Ebenezer is a theatres-only release for now. No streaming date or platform has been officially announced, though it is expected to reach Paramount+ after its theatrical run.
