Johnny Depp mounts controversial mainstream comeback with Ebenezer as first reactions drop

Louis ChiltonTue, November 10, 2026 at 12:49 PM UTC

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Johnny Depp at the London premiere of 'Ebenezer' (Getty)

Johnny Depp is mounting a Hollywood comeback with Ebenezer, his first Hollywood film since the 2022 court battle against ex-wife Amber Heard, which saw the actor face domestic abuse allegations.

Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge in the new Charles Dickens adaptation out this week, directed by X’s Ti West and co-starring Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman and Sir Ian McKellan.

Ebenezer had its premiere on Monday (9 November), with early reactions skewing positively towards the film.

The film, which had a budget of nearly $40m, has been given a robust marketing push by studio Paramount Pictures, and is being seen as Depp’s first mainstream venture since the reputationally damaging court battle.

Depp sued Heard, an actor best known for her role in the superhero film Aquaman, in 2019, for defamation, over a 2018 op-ed she wrote in The Washington Post about domestic violence. Depp has maintained that the allegations of abuse are defamatory and false.

Heard, who was married to Depp between 2015 and 2017, then counter-sued, claiming that Depp had orchestrated a “smear campaign”, alleging that his lawsuit constituted a continuation of a pattern of “abuse and harassment”.

The case went to court in 2022. A jury ultimately found in Depp’s favour, awarding him more than $10m in damages. However, it also found that Depp’s lawyer had defamed Heard, and awarded her $2m in damages.

Following appeals, both parties reached settlements in 2022, with Depp’s representatives stating that the deal included a $1m payment from Heard, which he was to donate to charity.

Several years before this, in 2020, Depp lost a libel case against The Sun’s publisher, with a judge ruling that the paper’s description of him as a “wife beater” was substantially true.

In recent years, Depp – once one of Hollywood’s biggest actors, thanks to his role in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise – has been absent from the American film industry. His biggest film credit, until Ebenezer, came in the form of the 2023 French drama Jeanne du Barry.

Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge during an appearance at Comic Con earlier this year (Getty)

He is, however, reportedly being eyed for a return to the Pirates franchise in a new reboot. Ebenezer is being viewed by many as a bellwether for Depp’s public appeal, with uncertainty still remaining over the actor’s commercial viability in the wake of Depp vs Heard, and the abuse allegations that it brought to the surface.

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During Ebenezer’s London premiere, Depp was asked about his return to Hollywood, with an interviewer from asking him how it “is to be back” after not doing a Hollywood film for so long.

“I don’t know, what’s the difference between a Hollywood film and a French film?” Depp replied.

“What’s the difference between a Hollywood film and an English film? The difference is this: it was a bit of a vacation. Which was fine,” he said.

Several of Depp’s Ebenezer co-stars, including Tillman, Sam Claflin, and Ellie Bamber, also attended the premiere, with former Harry Potter star Grint posing for photos with his arm around Depp.

Other celebrities in attendance included Minnie Driver, Jedward and Love Island celebrity Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu.

Reactions to the film have been mixed, with many praising West’s handling of the horror elements, and Depp’s performance. Full reviews are not published until later this week.

Critic Phil Roberts described described Depp as “magnetic” in the film, which is “a bold spin on Dickens’ classic, delivering a sincere period piece infused with heart and despair”.

FilmSpeak critic Tom Chatalbash called Ebenezer a “wickedly fun holiday treat and strong comeback vehicle for its star”, while Clarence Moye wrote that the film is a “pleasant surprise”.

Not all responses were positive, however, with more critical reactions describing the film as “forgettable”.

“Nothing’s distinct or unique about this version,” wrote film critic Ren Vieira. “Fantastic set design, production and sound design, but it’s just Depp doing cooky Scrooge, nothing more than his old tricks.”

Ebenezer is out in cinemas from 13 November.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”