Johnny Depp’s comeback as Ebenezer Scrooge in Paramount Pictures’ upcoming Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol has divided audiences and sparked backlash within the industry, with insiders calling the move “disgraceful.”
Insiders claim Hollywood is not happy with Johnny Depp’s comeback
Johnny Depp’s comeback is going to be his first major studio role since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018, before his public fallout with ex-wife Amber Heard and the ensuing 2022 defamation trial. The 62-year-old star is reportedly in final talks to headline Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, directed by Pearl filmmaker Ti West. The film is expected to offer a darker, gothic spin on Charles Dickens’ classic tale when it releases in November next year.
But not everyone in Hollywood is celebrating his comeback. Multiple insiders and campaigners have slammed the decision, accusing studios of attempting to “rehabilitate” Depp’s public image rather than prioritize accountability. “It’s disgraceful,” one industry insider told RadarOnline.
“This isn’t about art or second chances – it’s a deliberate attempt to see if audiences are ready to forgive him. Casting Johnny as one of film’s most notorious characters is no coincidence. It’s Hollywood welcoming him back.”
Depp’s reputation took a major hit following his lawsuit with Heard. While he was awarded $10.35 million in damages and she received $2 million in her countersuit, the verdict split global opinion. Critics said his courtroom win reflected “a victory for celebrity over accountability.”
Another industry source described the casting as “incredibly tone-deaf,” saying, “It’s a story about reckoning with one’s past, and the parallels are impossible to ignore. For many abuse survivors, it feels like Hollywood is turning something painful into entertainment.”
On social media, reactions have been equally polarizing. One user wrote on X, “This is actually so fu**ing annoying cause before at least he was being cast in sh*t no one will ever watch, but now it’s evolved.” Another added, “Johnny Depp is an abuser. We won’t be watching.”
As of now, there has not been an official confirmation.
