Christmas came early on Monday in London’s Leicester Square as Johnny Depp touched down for the red carpet world premiere of Ebenezer with director Ti West and a cast including Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Tramell Tillman, Ellie Bamber and Robert Strong.
The red carpet was adorned with Christmas trees and artificial snow, while festive 1950s classics blared in the backdrop and, as if by magic, temperatures dropped, ending an unseasonably mild autumn.
The cold conditions did not deter fans who crowded the red carpet enclosure, with most of them there to catch a glimpse of Depp. He didn’t disappoint, arriving in time to speak to select media and then walk through the line of fans.
Johnny Depp attends the world premiere of ‘Ebenezer’ at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square
Photo by Tristan Fewings/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures
Depp’s latest role as Ebenezer Scrooge is being billed as the actor’s comeback, after being sidelined following his high-profile legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard.
Rumors are rife that if Ebenezer works well, it could help greenlight a reboot of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise with Depp reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow.
Whether that comes to pass remains to be seen, but it was clear on Monday night that Depp was the main draw, with the audience at least appearing to have moved on.
Speaking to Deadline on the red carpet, West said he and Depp bonded over a shared love of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” as well as an admiration for Alastair Sim’s performance as Ebenezer Scrooge in a 1951 adaptation.
“I’ve been obsessed with it since I was little. I read it every Christmas, and I was into it because it was a ghost story, and then I saw the George C. Scott movie when I was really little and Marley really scared me,” he said, referring to Clive Donner’s 1984 version.
“I was fascinated by it and I had in mind a version that I was waiting for someone to do and they didn’t. What’s also cool is that it’s one of the rare stories that, because it’s so enduring, remaking it is part of the charm,” he said.
West said Depp approached him about the role when he learned the production was in the works.
“He was obsessed with Scrooge since he was little, which I didn’t know, and so when he discovered the movie he was like, ‘Alastair Sim is one of the main reasons why I’m even an actor.’ It was a strange cosmic thing where it was supposed to be,” West said.
Depp confirmed West’s account in a public interview before heading to the movies.
“I loved him as a kid and to this day I know there’s no better person to play Ebenezer Scrooge than Alastair Sim…the challenge is to find another angle,” Depp said, praising West for creating an atmosphere on set in which there was space to experiment with the role.
Unsurprisingly, given West’s horror filmography, there’s a gothic horror to be felt in the adaptation, giving the work an added thrill that goes beyond previous big screen releases.
Ellie Bamber, who plays Ebenezer’s lost love, may this also remain a family film. “It’s still very Christmassy with a touch of spooky.”
Gn entert
