Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer’ Officially Earns Glowing First Reactions as Critics Hail His Hollywood Return

Published Nov 10, 2026, 5:41 AM EST

In over three years at Collider, senior author Jake has now penned over 4000 articles covering a wide range of TV and film for the resources, lists, utilities, news, and interview teams. Alongside interviewing stars such as Selin Hizli, Rose Ayling-Ellis, Harlan Coben, and Chelsea Peretti, Jake was lucky enough to visit the set of Aardman and Netflix's Wallace and Gromit: A Vengeance Most Fowl in 2024, getting the chance to chat with four-time Academy Award winner Nick Park and Merlin Crossingham. Jake has also worked for other publications, including Agents of Fandom. You can also hear Jake every week as the resident film and TV journalist on Track Radio. 

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Following his high-profile legal battle with his ex, Amber Heard, which dominated headlines and altered the public perception of both, Johnny Depp wisely took time away from the spotlight, having now been away from a major Hollywood production since 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. However, this month, the man behind Captain Jack Sparrow is back, headlining Ti West’s Ebenezer, the latest project based on Charles Dickens' iconic 1843 novella.

Looking to add the iconic Ebenezer Scrooge to his pantheon of memorable characters, Depp already made a surprise appearance in character during Collider's Directors on Directing Panel at San Diego Comic-Con, setting the wheels in motion for his potentially glorious comeback to the Hollywood spotlight. Ahead of the film's scheduled release by Paramount Pictures on November 13, 2026, the first response from critics is officially in, but what exactly are they saying about Depp's return?

"Johnny Depp is magnetic throughout Scrooge’s soft redemption arc leading to a finale that delivers more emotional resonance than its predecessors," wrote UK Film Critic Phil Roberts, who was one of many impressed by Depp's typically energetic performance. Ebenezer is a "wickedly fun holiday treat and strong comeback vehicle for its star," according to FilmSpeak’s chief film critic, Tom Chatalbash, adding that "Depp is a fiendish delight as Scrooge."

Not every critic was blown away by Depp's comeback. Critic Ren Vieira said that "nothing’s distinct or unique about this version," adding, "it’s just Depp doing cooky Scrooge, nothing more than his old tricks." Critic and writer MaryAnn Johanson said the film was "Utterly superfluous," with Robert Ortiz saying, "the film commits 2 sins of being forgettable and just boring, especially if you’ve seen a Christmas carol before."

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Question 01PURPOSE

01What gives your life its deepest sense of meaning?Every universe is built around a different answer to this question.

ABeing part of something larger than myself: a cause, a rebellion, a fight for freedom that outlasts me.BThe journey itself. The places I'll go, the companions beside me, the world I'll discover on the way.CLearning. Unlocking what I'm capable of, understanding the world's hidden mechanics, growing into something more.DLegacy. The name I leave behind, the power I build, the mark I make before the world moves on without me.EUnderstanding. Exploring what exists beyond the horizon and asking what it means to be alive in a universe this vast.

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03How do you prefer your conflicts resolved?The shape of a world's conflicts tells you everything about its soul.

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AI want to use it to protect, and I'm terrified of what I might become if I'm not careful.BI distrust it. The most important power in this story is the courage to give it up.CI want to earn it, through knowledge, through effort, through becoming someone worthy of it.DI want to wield it. Preferably before someone else decides to wield it against me.EI want to understand it: its structures, its limits, its ethical dimensions. Power without accountability is the real risk.

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07What role would you naturally fall into?Every universe has archetypes. Which one fits you without trying?

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08What do you ultimately believe about the future?The answer to this is the clearest window into which universe already lives inside you.

AThat hope is real. That even in the darkest galaxy, a new hope is always possible.BThat even the smallest person can change the course of the future, if they have the courage to try.CThat love and friendship and doing what's right will matter in the end, even when everything says otherwise.DThat the wheel keeps turning. That power shifts, winters end, and what endures is those willing to fight for it.EThat humanity, or whatever we become, is capable of extraordinary things, if we choose to be.

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Your Universe Has Been ChosenYou Belong In

Your answers point to the iconic universe your values, your instincts, and your particular way of seeing the world were built for. This is where you would find your people and your purpose.

Space OperaStar WarsA Galaxy Far, Far Away · Since 1977Hope, used as a tactic.

You believe in the cause, in the idea that freedom is worth fighting for even when the odds are impossible and the empire is vast.Why This Is Your World

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From The Collider File

• The Mandalorian and Grogu brought Star Wars back to cinemas in 2026, the first theatrical entry since 2019.
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You understand, in the deepest part of yourself, that the journey matters as much as the destination, and that the world's beauty is worth protecting even at great cost.Why This Is Your World

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From The Collider File

• The Rings of Power returned for a third season on Prime Video in November 2026.
• Andy Serkis directs The Hunt for Gollum, now dated for December 2027.

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Modern FantasyHarry PotterThe Wizarding World · Since 1997The quiet choice, made without any guarantee.

You believe that love, loyalty, and doing what's right are not naive sentiments. They are the most powerful forces in any world, magical or otherwise.Why This Is Your World

• The Wizarding World is a place of wonder hidden in plain sight, where learning is transformative and the bonds you form at school follow you into everything that comes after.
• You would flourish here because you take both the magic and the friendships seriously, and you understand that one without the other is incomplete.
• Harry Potter's universe ultimately rewards those who choose to stand for something even when standing is terrifying.
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• HBO's series adaptation is dated for 2027, with Dominic McLaughlin as Harry.
• It is built to run one season per book, which gives it roughly seven years of story.

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Political FantasyGame of ThronesWesteros and the Known World · Since 1996You see the board. You are not frozen by seeing it.

You see the world clearly, its power structures, its hypocrisies, its cold arithmetic, and you are not paralyzed by that clarity. You use it.Why This Is Your World

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• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms opened HBO's 2026, premiering in January.
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You believe the future is worth building, that curiosity, cooperation, and the expansion of understanding are not just ideals but the most practical path forward for any civilization.Why This Is Your World

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• You would belong here because you are fundamentally optimistic about what intelligence and decency can achieve, while being honest about how hard that achievement is.
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• Strange New Worlds returned for a fourth season that July, moving visibly closer to the original series.

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What Is Johnny Depp Making Next?

Following the release of Ebenezer, the Depp comeback train is only just starting its journey. On March 26, 2027, Depp will star in Day Drinker, an action thriller directed by Marc Webb, who will be hoping for his own comeback after helming the disastrous live-action Snow White remake in 2025. Depp will star alongside Madelyn Cline (Outer Banks), upcoming Oscars hopeful Penélope Cruz (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides), and Manu Ríos (Elite) in Day Drinker.

For all the latest updates, make sure to stay tuned to Collider.

Cast

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  Ebenezer Scrooge

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  Jacob Marley

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  Sam Claflin

  Fred

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  Tramell Tillman

  Ghost of Christmas Present