Johnny Depp has always been able to capture the ladies with his charm and eyeliner as Captain Jack Sparrow. But in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, his transformation with, rot, weight and time sitting on his face makes him barely recognisable. The best word that describes his character is…..unsettling.
A Transformation That Doesn’t Ask for Your Approval
According to Variety, the first trailer for Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol debuted at CinemaCon, revealing a version of Scrooge that leans hard into physical transformation. Variety went on to further describe Depp as an actor who was in “full, crotchety Scrooge mode” in the first official teaser, as he was sporting heavy facial prosthetics to give him a weathered appearance along with long grey hair, cutting a striking silhouette.
This Scrooge Feels Like He’s Been Sitting in the Cold Too Long
It’s seems as though Depp has fully embraced his character with the mutton chops, the worn-down posture and decaying teeth… which has stripped away any lingering vanity. What’s remains is a man who looks like he’s been sitting in the cold for way too long. And this is not just physically mind you, but emotionally too. But this comes as no surprise considering Depp’s response below:
“It really has been an extraordinary privilege,” Depp said on stage, about being asked by director Ti West to take on the role, calling the tale of Scrooge one “I have been obsessed with since I was a little child.”
Horror, Humour… and Something In Between
Ti West directs the film, delivering a much darker, sharper retelling of Dickens. I mean, there will always be a familiarity of ghosts, regret and second chances to the skeleton of the story that you can relate to, except it has become more uncomfortable. We know of Christmas stories that warm you up, and this definitely isn’t one of them. This one makes you sit with yourself on another level. Early footage shown at CinemaCon leans into that duality. While the film stitches horror into its atmosphere, it doesn’t completely abandon humour. Instead, we see the existence of both in the same breath. One moment eerie, the next oddly theatrical, almost like the film is daring you to laugh and then immediately questioning why you did.
The cast around Depp isn’t exactly playing it safe either. The film brings together names like Ian McKellen, Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, and Rupert Grint, which already tells you this isn’t just another seasonal remake. It feels more deliberate than that. It feels like everyone involved knows they’re stepping into a story that’s been told a hundred times… and still chose to twist it anyway. Now if you think about it, that could just be the hook here.
This Version Doesn’t Let You Off Easy
A Christmas Carol has never really been about Christmas in the way that we understand it. What it has been about is consequence, memory, and the uncomfortable realisation that you don’t get to outrun who you’ve been. In this version there is no sugar coating that truth. Depp, as the lead is fully projecting that discomfort which wastes no time in setting the tone. Right from the start there is absolutely no attempt to make Scrooge likeable from the very beginning. You immediately get a man who has spent years building walls so thick that even ghosts have to work overtime to get through them.
The film will hit cinemas in November 2026, and if this first glimpse says anything, it isn’t trying to be the version you grew up with.
It’s trying to be the one that lingers a little longer after the credits roll.
