Johnny Depp returned to the top of the box office charts with “Ebenezer,” his new version of “A Christmas Carol,” which raked in $19 million from 3,535 North American theaters in its opening weekend.
Overseas, the PG-13 adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic generated $23 million in 63 markets for a global start of $42 million.
“Ebenezer” is Depp’s first major film role in eight years, since 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” His Hollywood career began to unravel in 2020 after allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife Amber Heard (which he denied) resulted in two expensive and high-profile defamation lawsuits. Although his acting roles have mostly dried up, a study conducted by the National Research Group in April 2026 indicated that Depp remained a popular figure across the world. Participants ranked him among the top 10 actors – ahead of Tom Hanks and behind Margot Robbie – who “would make you most interested in seeing a new movie in theaters in the future.”
So how did that enthusiasm translate into “Ebenezer” during its first weekend of release? Analysts say the tickets don’t signal a resounding embrace amid Depp’s return to studio fare. However, the film provided a nice boost to theater owners ahead of Thanksgiving and appears to provide a significant return on investment for Paramount. Given the uncertainty surrounding Depp, the studio prudently spent $38 million to produce the film. Depp received $5 million, a fraction of what he earned on previous studio films, with the promise of bonuses tied to box office performance.
“It’s a solid opening for a Christmas-themed movie,” says David A. Gross, who publishes the FranchiseRe box office newsletter. “Johnny Depp remains a major celebrity around the world, and director Ti West brings some edge.”
Directed by West, known for the “X” horror trilogy, “Ebenezer” tells the oft-told story of the cold-hearted businessman known as Scrooge as he is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future. Although reviews were harsh (it holds a 53% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences gave the film a positive “A-” grade in CinemaScore exit polls. The ticket buyers were mostly older white women; the audience was 52% female and 58% Caucasian, while 59% were aged 30 or older. The film performed best in the South, according to the studio. About 50% of moviegoers cited Depp as their reason for attending, making him the film’s biggest attendance driver, according to PostTrak data.
In the wake of “Ebenezer,” box office observers believe the city will be more willing to work with Depp. His next film is Lionsgate’s 2027 action thriller, “Day Drinker,” starring Penélope Cruz. Meanwhile, Disney is planning another “Pirates of the Caribbean” movie. Depp said he was open to returning to the franchise as the chaotic Captain Jack Sparrow, but he noted that “the only involvement I really want to have, really, is just sending them out on a better note.”
“With the #1 movie on the market and his image and likeness all over the marketing materials, Johnny Depp’s Hollywood exile is effectively over,” says Jeff Bock, analyst at Exhibitor Relations. “This reference signals to the industry that Depp is once again castable, marketable and capable of opening a studio film. Captain Jack Sparrow – it’s time to go again.”
Two other films, the Amazon MGM film “How to Rob a Bank” and the Sony action thriller “Ghost Soldier,” starring Jim Caviezel, opened nationally to mixed results.
“How to Rob a Bank” failed to do business, stumbling to No. 7 with $5 million from 2,810 theaters in its debut. It also struggled internationally with $5.1 million coming from 73 territories, bringing its worldwide total to $10.3 million. The heist comedy, starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz and Pete Davidson, was produced for more than $40 million, and theater exhibitors keep about half of the ticket sales. What’s troubling is that neither critics nor audiences have been receptive to the film, which earned a “B-” grade on CinemaScore and a lukewarm 33% on Rotten Tomatoes. David Leitch directed the R-rated film, which follows a team of social media-savvy bank robbers who broadcast their daring heists, unaware that their viral fame has attracted the attention of the federal government.
“It’s a weak opening for an original action comedy,” says Gross. “With limited overseas operations, the film will fail to recoup its investment.”
“Ghost Soldier” was just atop the box office chart, in sixth place with $5.2 million over the traditional weekend and $8.3 million over its first five days of release. There’s no CinemaScore, so we don’t know exactly what audiences thought of the film; reviews were negative, with a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. “Ghost Soldier,” starring Caviezel as a former U.S. special forces soldier, has a meager production budget of $18 million.
“How to Rob a Bank” and “Ghost Solider” opened behind several titles, including Warner Bros.’ “The Cat in the Hat.” Animation and Gkids’ action sequel “Godzilla Minus Zero”.
“The Cat in the Hat” remained in second place with $11 million from 4,003 theaters in its second release, a 45% decline from its debut. So far, the animated family film has grossed $36.7 million domestically and just $55 million worldwide, a disappointing number compared to a budget of $92 million.
“Godzilla Minus Zero” slipped to No. 3 after dominating the box office charts last weekend. The kaiju sequel grossed $8.31 million from 3,264 locations, a steep 75% decline since its opening. Despite a steep decline, “Godzilla Minus Zero” was a success in North America grossing $48.1 million to date.
In fifth place, A24’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything” grossed $5.4 million from 1,845 screens in its fifth weekend of release. The hit film, directed by Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, was a huge success with $89 million and will soon cross the $100 million mark in North America. This is a rare box office milestone for any documentary, especially one that runs nearly three hours.
Among specialty releases, A24’s heartwarming comedy “Club Kid” and Amazon MGM’s drama “I Play Rocky” attempted to maintain momentum in limited release.
“Club Kid” remained strong with $756,060 from 27 screens, earning $28,002 per screen and bringing its total to $1.45 million. About 80 percent of the audience was under 35, according to PostTrak. Jordan Firstman wrote, directed and starred in the film, which revolves around a partying club promoter who discovers he has a 10-year-old son.
“I Play Rocky” raised $503,818 from 29 sites, averaging $17,373 per location. Directed by Peter Farrelly, the film depicts the real-life story of Sylvester Stallone bringing the 1976 classic “Rocky” to the big screen. Both films will be released nationwide around Thanksgiving.
Neon’s period drama “Paper Tiger” opened to $215,009 on six screens, averaging $35,835 per location. For comparison, “Club Kid” earned $65,097 per location and “I Play Rocky” captured $49,200 per location last weekend on similar theatrical figures. James Gray directed the film, which stars Adam Driver and Miles Teller as brothers Irwin and Gary Pearl, whose get-rich-quick scheme to help clean up the Gowanus Canal puts them in the crosshairs of the Russian mob.
Overall, the box office is 20% ahead of the same point last year, and exhibitors are optimistic for the remainder of November. Next weekend is Lionsgate’s “Hunger Games” prequel, “Sunrise on the Reaping,” which is expected to open above $100 million. Next, Turkey Day will feature Universal’s comedy “Focker in Law,” with Ariana Grande joining Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro, as well as Disney’s animated film “Hexed.”
These films “set the stage for what promises to be an exciting Thanksgiving setting,” says Paul Dergarabedian, market trends manager at Rentrak. “With the start of the Christmas movie season, the industry has a great opportunity to gain momentum as we head into the final weeks of the year.”
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