Charles Dickens' classic ghost story gets a fresh, chilling makeover in Ebenezer, a new Paramount Pictures adaptation directed by horror maestro Ti West (X, Pearl, MaXXXine). The film stars Johnny Depp as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who is visited by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future on a single, life-altering night. The star-studded cast also includes Rupert Grint, Tramell Tillman, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, and Ian McKellen.
In an exclusive conversation with Collider, Depp and West opened up about their unexpected first meeting, the creative spark that made them believe their collaboration was destined, and Depp's playful take on what would happen if his iconic Captain Jack Sparrow ever crossed paths with Scrooge.
A Fateful First Meeting
When Depp and West first sat down to discuss Ebenezer, the encounter felt like something out of a movie. “Our first meeting, the electricity went out,” Depp revealed with a laugh. West added, “That’s actually a great story.” The power outage, rather than derailing the conversation, seemed to seal the deal. Depp, who had admired West’s work, said, “I definitely did. I’d seen a number of his other films, and I was very impressed. This guy works. These are not easy things to put together.”
For Depp, the initial fear was that a director might be intimidated by his reputation for creating larger-than-life characters. “My fear meeting folks, directors or whoever that I don’t know, is that they’re going to be afraid, they’re going to already be a little bit worried about what I might offer as the character,” he explained. But West put those worries to rest quickly. “That was a very quick conversation between Ti and I early on because you have to pay respects to Charles Dickens, you have to pay your respects to the screenwriter, the filmmaker, the visionary, and then you have to take care of the character,” Depp said. “I found Ti instantly ready to just…”
If Jack Sparrow Met Scrooge
When asked who would be the first to lose their mind if Jack Sparrow, the Mad Hatter, and Scrooge were locked in a room together for 24 hours, Depp didn’t hesitate. “Well, at least two of them are already insane,” he joked. “But no, I would have to say, I think it would be Captain Jack Sparrow. He would have to find a way away from those types.” West chimed in, “Talking to them for too long?” Depp nodded, “Yeah.”
Revisiting Career Highlights
The conversation also turned to cherished memories from their careers. Depp chose to revisit his time working with the late director Ted Demme on Blow. “I worshiped and I adored him, and we sadly lost him when he was 39 years old,” Depp said. “He was magic. He was just a beautiful, amazing, amazingly talented, and down-to-earth, funny, funny guy.” Depp also shared a touching coincidence: Demme’s son Dexter and Depp’s son Jack became best friends in school without knowing their fathers’ connection. “They just met each other in school when they were, like, eight years old, and they're still best friends to this day,” he revealed.
West, meanwhile, recalled the surreal experience of shutting down Hollywood Boulevard for MaXXXine. “I remember standing there in the middle of the night, and everyone's pissed off because the road's closed and it's a major thoroughfare, and it's dressed to look like the ‘80s, and I'm standing there with my dog — also no longer with us — and I remember just thinking, ‘This is crazy,’” he said. “I went, ‘You know what’d be a cool idea for a movie?’ and now I'm standing here with Hollywood Boulevard completely shut down… I was like, ‘This is all my fault.’”
With Ebenezer now in theaters, fans are eager to see Depp’s take on the iconic miser. Early reactions have been mixed, but the film is already generating buzz. For those who can’t get enough of Depp’s iconic characters, there’s always the possibility of a return as Captain Jack Sparrow, though Depp has set his terms. And if you’re in the mood for more holiday chills, Ebenezer is a must-watch this season.
