Johnny Depp’s studio comeback vehicle “Ebenezer” is looking to open in first place at the domestic box office after unwrapping $6.7 million on Friday, including Thursday previews.
Paramount Pictures released director Ti West’s horror-tinged adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in 3,535 North American theaters this weekend.
The $38 million-budgeted feature stars Depp as the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge who is visited by three spirits, with Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley and Ian McKellen rounding out the cast. The film is expected to earn around $20 million for the frame or just under that. Seuss’ classic children’s book.
The project marks Depp’s first studio project since 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,” following a hiatus from high-profile work after abuse allegations from ex-wife Amber Heard that Depp has denied, as well as negative headlines during his and Heard’s 2022 defamation trial.
Paramount had been pleased with data indicating that audiences want Depp back and that he still holds wide appeal, utilizing marketing that featured the actor appearing in character as Scrooge to remind fans of transformative roles like Captain Jack Sparrow and Willy Wonka.
Audience reception has been strong, with “Ebenezer” landing an A- CinemaScore and earning 4.5 out of 5 stars on PostTrak, where 50 percent of guests cited Depp as their reason for seeing the movie.
Of the opening Thursday night audience, 62 percent of the crowd was over age 30, suggesting the film was especially appealing for those with positive associations with Depp’s work over the decades. The PG-13-rated film is still geared toward the family crowd.
Critics have been split on the feature, holding a 53 percent approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes reviewers.
Writing in his review for The Hollywood Reporter, critic Frank Scheck declares that the film “fulfills its ostensible goal of restoring the actor to A-list status.” Reviewing “How to Rob a Bank”, critic David Rooney noted in his review that “the fun wears a bit thin,” while Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller star in another feature that Rooney’s review praised as “a drama of almost overwhelming power.” Next weekend sees the arrival of Lionsgate’s “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping”, expected to become one of the fall’s top-grossing titles.
