Johnny Depp stepped back into the spotlight at Comic-Con this week, appearing in character as Scrooge to unveil the first full trailer for the holiday film Ebenezer. The Ti West-directed take on Charles Dickens’ classic, due in theaters on November 13, 2026, leans into a darkly stylized Victorian mood while slipping in unexpected comic beats.
Depp’s appearance spilled into the streets of San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter before the actor walked onto the stage in Hall H, candle in hand. Onstage he briefly hobbed along, quipped to the crowd — “Have you no lives? No responsibilities?” — and passed the flame to director John Francis Daley seated at the panel.
Audience accounts noted that Depp remained deeply in character, his delivery sometimes hushed and mumbled, a choice that lengthens the film’s oddball, theatrical feel. That tone is evident in the trailer: heavy period production design, shadowed interiors and moments of dark humor, such as a disheveled Scrooge sinking into a bed and pelting passersby with snow.
The trailer’s opening credits make an explicit nod to Depp’s cinematic history, intercutting references to some of his best-known roles. Early in the footage he turns to the camera and says plainly, “It’s good to be back.”
- Title: Ebenezer
- Director: Ti West
- Screenplay: Nathaniel Halpern (adaptation)
- Lead: Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge
- Supporting cast: Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley
- Release date: November 13, 2026
Critically, the clip frames the film as a Gothic holiday piece with a comic edge rather than a straightforward Dickens adaptation. Visual cues — ornate costumes, stark lighting and an emphasis on atmospheric detail — mark Ti West’s signature genre sensibility as a major shaping force for the material.
For Comic-Con regulars, the trailer drop continued a recent pattern of surprise appearances and unexpected teases. Collider, the host of the panel where the trailer premiered, previously staged a similar reveal when Keanu Reeves turned up with a teaser for John Wick: Chapter 4 in 2022.
Why this matters now: Ebenezer is positioned as a notable studio release for the winter season and a high-profile vehicle for Depp and West. The trailer’s mix of gothic imagery and comic moments offers a distinct holiday alternative for audiences and sets expectations for how Dickens’ material will be reimagined on screen this year.
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Hello, I’m Declan. I share my film reviews and discoveries with you to enrich your moviegoing experience.