Johnny Depp’s newest role has transformed him beyond recognition.
The 62-year-old actor was seen on set in London on Jan. 28 filming a fresh adaptation of A Christmas Carol, where he takes on the role of Ebenezer Scrooge. Photos from the shoot show Depp heavily made up with prosthetics to embody the iconic Charles Dickens character.
Dressed in a large blue-and-black coat layered over pajamas, Depp’s long salt-and-pepper hair peeked out from beneath a nightcap as he filmed scenes alongside Andrea Riseborough, who plays the Ghost of Christmas Past. Riseborough, 44, was fully covered in white makeup, including her hair, and wore pale contact lenses and a flowing white gown to create a ghostly appearance.
The film, officially titled Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, is directed by Ti West (X, Pearl, MaXXXine) and is based on Dickens’ 1843 classic novel.
The cast also includes Tramell Tillman, Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, and Sam Claflin. Separately, Deadline previously reported that Robert Eggers and Willem Dafoe are developing a darker, horror-inspired take on the same story.
This project marks Depp’s first major studio-backed Hollywood film since Waiting for the Barbarians (2019) and Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018). In recent years, he has appeared in smaller-scale productions such as Jeanne du Barry (2023) and the upcoming Day Drinker, and he also directed Modi: Three Days on the Wing of Madness (2024).
Depp largely stepped away from major Hollywood roles following his highly publicized defamation trial with ex-wife Amber Heard. The six-week televised case concluded in June 2022, with the jury ruling in Depp’s favor on all counts related to Heard’s 2018 op-ed. The former couple later reached a settlement after appeals.
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol is set to hit theaters on Nov. 13 through Paramount Pictures.
