Johnny Depp's Ebenezer Has A Nightmare On Elm Street Death Callback

Published Nov 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EST

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When it was announced that the renowned horror filmmaker behind the likes of The House of the Devil and X was helming a feature film adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, moviegoers became excited at the prospect of a spookier, darker take on the classic novella. Throw in Johnny Depp making his big comeback to major studio films and Ebenezer quickly became a fascinating prospect for audiences and industry insiders alike.

Like its source material, Ebenezer couples its wholesome tale of redemption with numerous unsettling spirits who visit the titular character in an attempt to make him see the error in his ways. Scenes surrounding Jacob Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present, and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come all find director Ti West lean into the terror of Dickens’ story in a way that will satisfy horror fans.

But one scene in particular finds Ti West referencing his leading man’s first ever role, which happened to be in one of the most iconic and unforgettable horror movies of all time. Even more strikingly, Ebenezer recalls Depp’s on-screen death in the film, poetically linking his comeback feature with his debut feature.

Ebenezer Features A Scene That Recalls Johnny Depp's Iconic Nightmare On Elm Street Death

When Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by the ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley, he is warned that he will be visited by three spirits this Christmas Eve night. Naturally, Scrooge goes into a panic, not only at the presence of the spectre of his old friend but of the prospect of being visited by three supernatural beings in the coming hours. And, naturally, Scrooge resists the spirits’ insistence that he come with them for a night-long odyssey into his past, present, and future.

As the Ghost of Christmas Past encroaches upon Scrooge’s bedroom in the dead of night with all kinds of spooky sounds and fog, the grumpy humbug of a man cowers onto his canopy bed. With the curtains of the bed drawn, Scrooge cannot see the remainder of his bedroom, which he believes will shield him from the ghost. Of course, he’s wrong.

While nervously waiting in anticipation for the ghost to show up, possibly by pulling the curtains of his bed, Scrooge suddenly begins to sink into his bed. Eventually, he plummets so far that the bed swallows his entire body up and can no longer be seen.

If this scene sounds eerily familiar, that’s because it is. In A Nightmare on Elm Street, Johnny Depp’s first movie role, his character Glen Lantz is killed in a similar manner. As he falls asleep in his bedroom, Glen is pulled through a hole that opens up inside his mattress. Seconds later, a massive, explosive geyser of blood erupts from the bed and sprays across the ceilings and walls of the room.

Although Ebenezer lacks the grand display of blood from Wes Craven’s horror classic, the imagery is startlingly similar between the two films.

Why Depp's Death Remains One Of Horror's Most Memorable Moments

Over 40 years since A Nightmare on Elm Street hit theaters, Johnny Depp’s character’s death in the film remains an iconic moment in horror movie history.

For starters, his death was groundbreaking for its novel use of practical effects. Wes Craven and his crew built a physical 360-degree rotating set upside down, strapping themselves into chairs while filming. When flipped, it created the surreal effect of Glen being swallowed by the bed into a vortex.

Upon Glen disappearing into the bed, Craven unleashed a whopping 500 gallons of fake blood, which plastered the entire room, walls, and ceiling. It’s an unabashedly violent and stunningly elaborate display that showcases the scale of threat that Freddy Krueger poses.

To top it all off, the scene punctuated Johnny Depp’s very first feature film role, long before he became a Hollywood A-lister. The Academy Award-nominee went on to become one of the biggest movie stars out there, but horror fans continue to delight in the fact that an actor of his caliber graced the silver screen for the first time being killed by Freddy Krueger in the most brutal of ways.

On the surface, Ebenezer and A Nightmare on Elm Street have little in common, other than the fact that both star Johnny Depp in key roles. However, modern horror legend Ti West managed to sneak in a brilliant wink to the audience by recalling Depp’s iconic death at the hands of Freddy Krueger in the latest feature film adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

Ebenezer

Cast

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  Ebenezer Scrooge

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  Jacob Marley

A modern reimaging of Charles Dickens' classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy miser who learns empathy on an eventful eve after communing with the dead.