Johnny Depp's Hollywood comeback sparks backlash

Johnny Depp’s long-awaited Hollywood comeback isn’t being met with applause.

The 61-year-old actor is reportedly in final talks to star as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ 1843 classic for Paramount Pictures. Directed by Pearl filmmaker Ti West and co-starring Andrea Riseborough, the movie is set for a November 2026 release.

The casting marks Depp’s first major studio project since 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, from which he was dropped amid abuse allegations made by Heard. Though Depp won the 2022 trial and was awarded $10.35 million in damages, the news of his comeback has divided audiences online.

“It’s disgusting that this man still has a career after everything,” one critic posted on X, while another wrote, “We don’t need another Christmas Carol — and definitely not with Depp.” Others, however, defended the move, calling it “a perfect fit” and “the comeback he deserves.”

Depp, who recently appeared in Jeanne du Barry and wrapped the thriller Day Drinker with Penélope Cruz, previously said he feels “no need for Hollywood.”

Meanwhile, Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol will face competition from another upcoming adaptation by Nosferatu director Robert Eggers, starring Willem Dafoe as Scrooge.