Johnny Depp steps back into mainstream Hollywood with Ebenezer, and the first social media reactions are now circulating after Paramount staged press screenings in New York and London. Early viewers largely agree on one point: Depp’s Scrooge anchors the film.
Ebenezer’s first reactions are in
Paramount let screening attendees post brief reactions on X ahead of full critic reviews, which will come with the November 12 release. The film premiered at the Whitby Hotel in New York City on this month’s first and held its London premiere in Leicester Square on Monday night. Ebenezer opens globally on November 13.
Ebenezer’s first reactions split on the film but converge on its star. @theholofiles wrote that Depp is “the perfect Scrooge, up there with Alaistair Sim and Michael Caine,” praising Ti West for leaning “into his horror roots with plenty of spooky, Gothic moments.” @TomChatalbash called it a “wickedly fun holiday treat and strong comeback vehicle,” noting that Johnny Depp “delivers a lively performance that thankfully balances the goofy charm and emotional gravitas that has been sorely missed.”
@AndreSaintAlbin echoed that praise: “Johnny Depp is outstanding as Ebenezer Scrooge! Deliciously unpleasant, heartbreaking, and completely captivating.”
Others pushed back. @lpowell092020 labeled the film “truly #Ebenezer awful” and urged audiences to “avoid it like the plague.” @DawsBear argued it covers “incredibly well worn territory” and serves “more as a way to get Johnny Depp back into the mainstream than it does to create a unique film experience.”
West directs the black comedy take on Charles Dickens’ 1843 novella, with Nathaniel Halpern writing the screenplay. The cast includes Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, Sam Claflin and Daisy Ridley. The film is Depp’s first mainstream Hollywood feature since his divorce from Amber Heard and the legal proceedings that followed.
