Johnny Depp surprises Comic-Con as Scrooge for Ebenezer
Johnny Depp made a surprise San Diego Comic-Con appearance Thursday as Ebenezer Scrooge, promoting Paramount's Ti West-directed film Ebenezer, due in theaters Nov. 13. Still in costume, he later crashed a Hall H panel to debut the trailer, marking a high-profile return to blockbuster filmmaking.
Key Takeaways
- Johnny Depp appeared in full Scrooge costume outside a "Scrooge and Marley" shop in San Diego's Gaslamp district.
- He later unveiled the Ebenezer trailer at Collider's Directors on Directing panel in Hall H.
- The Paramount film, directed by Ti West from a Nathaniel Halpern adaptation, opens Nov. 13, 2026.
- The cast includes Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Andrea Riseborough, and Sam Claflin.
What did Johnny Depp do at Comic-Con?
According to Variety, Depp emerged around 2:30 p.m. outside the Gaslamp activation after Christmas carolers warmed up the crowd on an 80-degree afternoon. Fans had begun gathering just after noon.
Fully made up in Scrooge's black coat and top hat, he stayed in character, croaking lines like "Have you no jobs?" and "What's so pleasant about it?" He also ribbed fans cosplaying Captain Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter, engaging the street crowd with silly skits for nearly half an hour.
How did the Hall H trailer reveal unfold?
Deadline reports that Depp then crashed Collider's Directors on Directing panel still dressed as Scrooge. The room went dark before he emerged guided by candlelight, asking the crowd, "Have you all no lives?"
He tossed candy onto the floor and ordered fans to "have at it." Deadline describes the trailer as dark, gothic, and comical, with Depp's Scrooge declaring, "It's good to be back." Opening credits nod to alter egos such as Jack Sparrow and Edward Scissorhands.
When does Ebenezer hit theaters, and who stars?
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol arrives in theaters on Nov. 13, 2026. Ti West (Pearl, X) directs from Nathaniel Halpern's take on Charles Dickens' classic. Paramount previously teased the project at CinemaCon, where Depp also appeared to strong applause.
Alongside Depp, the film stars Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Charlie Murphy, Tramell Tillman, and Ian McKellen. For more Streaming & TV Alerts coverage, visit BlasterPost's Streaming & TV Alerts hub.
Depp has called playing Scrooge "an extraordinary privilege," saying the tale is one he has "been obsessed with since I was a little child." The Comic-Con stunt puts the holiday blockbuster squarely on fans' radar ahead of its Thanksgiving-timed release.