Johnny Depp’s Hollywood comeback has been confirmed three years after his infamous court battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.
Following the former couple’s separation in 2016, she accused him of physical violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault during their year-long marriage.
He denied all the allegations, claiming she’d fabricated evidence to portray herself as a victim and damage his career.
They then sued each other in an infamous trial that played out in 2022, in which he was awarded $10.35 million (£8.2 million), while Heard won $2 million (£1.6 million).
In the years since his career has been under a cloud following the allegations made against him, with the star taking a step back from the spotlight.
However, he’s now set to make his major return to the screen – playing an iconic role.
This week it was reported he is in ‘final talks’ to star in the upcoming movie Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella, for Paramount Pictures.
It will be directed by Ti West, best known for horror films including Pearl and Maxxxine.
Meanwhile Andrea Riseborough is set to star alongside Depp. The movie is set to bee released in November next year.
Ebenezer Scrooge is a miserable businessman in 19th century London who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future in an effort to save himself from an afterlife of torment.
He’s appeared on screen several times, previously being played by actors like Bill Murray in 1988’s Scrooged, Michael Caine in A Muppet Christmas Carol and Jim Carrey in 2009’s A Christmas Carol.
In recent years he’s also been played by Luke Evans in 2022’s Scrooge: A Christmas Carol and Will Ferrell in 2022’s Spirited.
However, Depp’s casting has sparked an extremely divided reaction.
‘It’s so disgusting that this man still has a career after all he has done. I hope this movie flops when it comes out. I don’t want to hear anything about “allegations ruining men’s lives” when Depp is still getting work, even tho he’s an abuser,’ Jayda posted on X.
‘We don’t need another adaptation of this movie and we most certainly don’t need this version… men really can do the most heinous things and still have a career,’ Courtney shared.
‘Worst movie ever made incoming,’ Liam added.
But others said they couldn’t wait to watch.
What happened between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard?
Johnny Depp sued ex-wife Amber Heard for defamation over her 2018 Washington Post op-ed, in which she described herself as a survivor of domestic abuse (without naming him).
Heard had accused Depp of repeated physical violence, emotional abuse, and sexual assault during their marriage, including claims that he struck her, threw objects, and assaulted her with a bottle during a 2015 fight in Australia.
Depp denied all allegations, asserting that Heard was the abuser, and testified that she punched him, threw bottles, and once severed part of his fingertip during an argument. He claimed she fabricated evidence to portray herself as a victim and damage his career.
The 2022 Virginia trial became a global media spectacle, with extensive testimony, audio recordings, and photos from both sides. The jury largely sided with Depp, finding that Heard’s op-ed statements were false, defamatory, and made with ‘actual malice.’
Depp was awarded $10.35 million (£8.2 million), while Heard won $2 million (£1.6 million) on one element of her countersuit — over Depp’s lawyer calling her allegations a ‘hoax.’
Both appealed but settled later that year, with Heard agreeing to pay Depp $1 million (£790,000), which he pledged to charity. The case fueled intense public debate about domestic abuse, credibility, gender, and the role of social media in shaping justice.
‘Johnny Depp as Scrooge, Ti West directing? It’s like pirate rum in eggnog-messy combo, but I bet it’ll land just right. Can’t wait to see him nail that bah humbug vibe in 2026,’ FatesBlind wrote.
‘Fantastic choice. I think Johnny Depp will play that part disturbingly well if he casts as Ebenezer Scrooge,’ Naomi declared.
‘You know what this makes sense. Johnny Depp is going to make a fantastic Ebenezer Scrooge,’ Ryan added.
Despite this, there were also some reservations from many too: ‘It’s great to see Johnny Depp in a Hollywood film again but genuinely who in the hell is asking for another Christmas Carol movie.’
This film will mark Depp’s first role from a major studio since 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. He was later fired from that franchise.
Since then, he’s starred in a few independent films including Minamata and Jeanne du Barry, but also recently filmed the Lionsgate thriller Day Drinker alongside Penélope Cruz.
When asked at Cannes in 2023 about Hollywood’s view of him, he explained: ‘I don’t feel boycotted, because I don’t think about Hollywood. I don’t feel much further need for Hollywood.’
However, his upcoming A Christmas Carol film will be going up against an adaptation from Nosferatu director Robert Eggers, with Willem Dafoe set to play Scrooge.
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