Friday’s box office was topped by “Ebenezer,” an “A Christmas Carol” adaptation featuring Johnny Depp as Scrooge, which brought in $6.7 million on its first day.
Across 3,535 theaters in North America during its debut weekend, the PG-13 adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic is anticipated to bring in between $18 million and $20 million. International markets are expected to add another $20 million to “Ebenezer,” pushing its worldwide total to an estimated $38 million to $40 million. That would represent a solid start because Paramount spent a modest $38 million to produce the film.
Audiences awarded the movie an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Ti West, known for his work on the “X” horror trilogy, directed “Ebenezer,” which puts a fresh spin on the familiar story of the grumpy businessman visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future.
Please check out my @nbcchicago page for written and video reviews of "Ebenezer," "How to Rob a Bank" and "The Body," plus my podcast conversation with Peter Farrelly of "There's Something About Mary," "Green Book" and "I Play Rocky."https://t.co/REAEu7w7SU
Johnny Depp Returns in Ebenezer
Marking Johnny Depp’s return to the big screen in a major motion picture, “Ebenezer” is his first such role in eight years, following 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Following a libel lawsuit loss against the British publication The Sun—which labeled the actor a “wife beater”—Warner Bros. dropped him from the “Harry Potter” prequel franchise in 2020.
Depp subsequently triumphed in a U.S. defamation lawsuit against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, who had accused him of domestic violence. As Hollywood kept a distance, Depp appeared in underseen indies like the 2020 drama “Minamata” and the 2023 period piece “Jeanne du Barry” and he directed the 2024 biopic “Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness.”
“You’re Johnny Depp,” the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation noted, describing the actor’s career as resting largely on goodwill associated with Captain Jack Sparrow. The Globe and Mail noted that Depp plays the tight-fisted and tetchy grouch as the character was written, quoting the novella: “Scrooge! A squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner!”
Cast and Supporting Performances
The film features Ian McKellen as business partner Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as clerk Bob Cratchit, and Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, according to The Globe and Mail. Andrea Riseborough plays the Ghost of Christmas Past, described by IndieWire as a white-eyed ghoul who looks like a spirit from “The Conjuring.”
“McKellen plays [Marley’s ghost] with hoarse-y glee, rendering some of his lines incomprehensible,” The Globe and Mail reported. Tillman is especially dreadful in his unnerving performance as the most corporeal of the ghosts, the outlet added.
‘EBENEZER’, starring Johnny Depp, is now at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. • One of the lowest rated ‘A Christmas Carol’ film adaptations of all time. pic.twitter.com/KrrAplmQYu
Ghost Soldier and How to Rob a Bank perform at the box office
Another newcomer, Sony’s action thriller “Ghost Soldier,” starring Jim Caviezel as a former American Special Forces soldier, grossed $1.5 million from 2,558 locations on Friday. It’s expected to generate $4.9 million during the traditional weekend and $8 million over its first five days of release. It was produced for $18 million.
This weekend’s other new release, Amazon MGM’s “How to Rob a Bank,” is fizzling with $2.2 million from 2,810 theaters on Friday. The heist comedy, starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz and Pete Davidson, is pacing to open to just $4.75 million. That’s not promising considering the studio produced the movie for more than $40 million, and theater owners keep about half of ticket sales.
David Leitch directed the R-rated caper, which follows a crew of social media-savvy bank robbers who broadcast their daring heists, unaware their viral fame has caught the attention of the feds. “How to Rob a Bank” landed a “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls and tepid 33% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
Ebenezer is bad and Johnny Depp is terrible in it. a transparent bid for redemption that becomes just another thing he should feel sorry for. my review: https://t.co/vWYNpWVOTF pic.twitter.com/qU4MOd4Aj2
“How to Rob a Bank” placed third on Friday, but it’s bracing for No. 7 on weekend box office charts behind several holdovers, including Warner Bros. Animation’s “The Cat in the Hat” and Gkids’ “Godzilla Minus Zero.” At No. 2, “The Cat in the Hat” brought in $2.2 million on Friday and looks to generate $10 million by Sunday, a 50% decline from its debut.
Those ticket sales would take the domestic total to $36.7 million, a weak tally against a $92 million budget. “Godzilla Minus Zero” wasn’t far behind with $2.1 million on Friday. The kaiju sequel should collect $7.5 million in its second weekend, a harsh 75% drop from its opening. Still, “Godzilla Minus Zero” has been a hit in North America. Those returns will bring the Stateside haul to $48.1 million.
Who directed Ebenezer and what are its projected earnings?
Who directed Ebenezer and what is its budget?
Ti West directed the PG-13 adaptation, which had a modest production budget of $38 million funded by Paramount.
What are the projected earnings for Ebenezer?
The film is projected to earn $18 million to $20 million domestically in its opening weekend alongside another $20 million overseas for a global total of $38 million to $40 million.
Which other actors star alongside Johnny Depp?
The cast features Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
‘EBENEZER’ is rotten on Rotten Tomatoes. "By the end, the only Christmas miracle one is grateful for is that the whole interminable affair is finally over." (https://t.co/cIm4aotMbR) pic.twitter.com/ipjVGjlJzG
Worth a look