Is the Ebenezer movie the first Christmas Carol you shouldn't bring a small child to? Maybe. The Hollywood Reporter says Ti West's take on the Dickens classic is "possibly being the first version of the story not really suitable for young children," and it opens in theaters this weekend, on Nov. 13, 2026, with Johnny Depp as Scrooge. Here is everything worth knowing before you buy a ticket: the release and rating, the cast, how it differs from other versions, what critics say, and what the box office is expected to do this weekend.
Key Takeaways
- Paramount's Ebenezer opens wide in more than 3,500 North American theaters on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026. It is rated PG-13 for frightening material and runs 1 hour 56 minutes.
- Ti West directs. Johnny Depp plays Scrooge, with Ian McKellen as Marley, Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit and Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past.
- Gold Derby tracks it at $20 million to $23 million for Nov. 13-15, which would be Depp's first No. 1 since 2018.
- Reviews are mixed, at roughly 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praise the gothic look and are split on whether the story needed retelling.
- It is theaters-only for now. No streaming or digital date has been announced.
Ebenezer Release Date, Rating and Where to Watch
The film arrives in North American theaters on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter's review, which lists a PG-13 rating and a 1 hour 56 minute running time. Rotten Tomatoes lists the same date, the PG-13 rating for "Frightening Material," and a 1h 56m runtime. Deadline reported back in October 2025 that Paramount had dated the film for Nov. 13, 2026, so the date has not moved.
| Quick facts | Details |
|---|---|
| Studio | Paramount Pictures |
| Director | Ti West |
| Screenplay | Nathaniel Halpern, based on Charles Dickens' novella |
| Theatrical release | Nov. 13, 2026 (wide) |
| Rating and length | PG-13 (frightening material), 1h 56m |
| Home viewing | No official date announced yet |
Can you stream Ebenezer yet?
No. ComingSoon reported on Nov. 13 that Paramount+ has not revealed streaming plans. The site guessed a digital rental or purchase window in December and a Paramount+ arrival around February or March 2027, but stressed that those timelines are estimates and unconfirmed. Until Paramount says otherwise, treat theaters as the only place to see it.
If you are planning a holiday movie weekend, the cast list is the easy part to get excited about. It is long.
Ebenezer Cast: Who Plays Who
Variety's review and The Hollywood Reporter's review together give a clear picture of the ensemble:
- Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge, in heavy old-age prosthetics.
- Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Scrooge's late business partner.
- Rupert Grint as clerk Bob Cratchit.
- Sam Claflin as Scrooge's nephew Fred, and Daisy Ridley as Fred's wife Clara.
- Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Robert Strange as the Ghost of Christmas Future.
- Arthur Conti as young Ebenezer, with Ellie Bamber as his former fiancée Belle.
Behind the camera, West is best known for horror. THR points to The House of the Devil and the recent "X" trilogy. Deadline adds that West made his name with the A24 trilogy that began with X, continued with Pearl and ended with MaXXXine. THR also notes that Paramount greenlit this film shortly after David Ellison's Skydance Media acquired the studio two years ago.
How This Christmas Carol Differs From Earlier Versions
There have been countless adaptations. TheWrap name-checks Alastair Sim, Michael Caine, Patrick Stewart and Jim Carrey among the stars who have played Scrooge, and Variety calls Sim's 1951 performance the "gold-standard screen incarnation." So what does this one change?
1. It leans into horror, but not all the way
THR says the movie "feels essentially like a horror film for most of its running time," with jump scares, grotesque visuals and ghostly creatures. Variety describes it as having "retro Hammer horror styling" but says this PG-13 film "stops some way short of being an outright horror film" and still follows Dickens' redemptive arc.
2. Marley gets a prologue
Both critics mention a new opening. THR says Marley is still alive in the pre-credits prologue and shown to be "just as irascible and nasty as Scrooge." The story then jumps ahead seven years to Scrooge at his most miserly. Variety found the prologue "needless," a view not every viewer will share.
3. The ghosts are the showpiece
Without spoiling details, reviewers single out the spirits. Variety calls Riseborough's Ghost of Christmas Past a "tulle-swaddled ghost bride," while THR describes the Ghost of Christmas Present as a surly figure who decays during the visit. THR also says the film is divided into "staves," a nod to the structure of Dickens' novella.
4. Mostly faithful beneath the dread
Variety says that despite marketing that frames it as an origin story or alternative spin, the film is "a mostly straightforward take" with a few tweaks, mainly around Scrooge's relationship with Belle and a change in Cratchit's professional standing. Its verdict: that is "more of a relief than it is a disappointment."
The wider Dickens boom is not slowing, either. Deadline noted in October 2025 that Warner Bros. had a separate Christmas Carol in development from Robert Eggers. That film's current status is not covered in the sources used here.
So how are critics actually reacting? The split is wider than the 50% score suggests.
Ebenezer Reviews: What Critics Are Saying
The film holds a mixed score. Gold Derby cites 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. When this article was written, the Rotten Tomatoes page showed 52% from 86 reviews, and the number will move as more come in. The key voices:
- The Hollywood Reporter (Frank Scheck) calls it an effective comeback vehicle that "fulfills its ostensible goal of restoring the actor to A-list status," while admitting it "doesn't break any new ground."
- Variety (Guy Lodge) headlines its review "Spookily Atmospheric but Redundant." Lodge calls Depp a "perfectly solid, by-the-book Scrooge" with "occasional moments of ripe inspiration," and singles out production designer Eve Stewart's work as the film's MVP.
The consistent praise is for craft: dank, rotting Victorian London, Checco Varese's coal-dark cinematography and the creature work. The consistent complaint is familiarity. Variety's line captures it: "Too frightening for many children and too old hat for many adults."
Who should see it, and who might skip it
Every critic quoted above agrees on one thing, which is that this is not the gentle family version of the story. Use that as your guide.
- Good fit: adults and older teens who like gothic atmosphere, Hammer-style horror and spooky Christmas stories.
- Think twice: families with young children. PG-13 still means frightening scenes, and critics repeatedly flag the scares.
- Maybe wait: anyone who wants a fresh story. Reviewers say the plot beats are familiar.
If you are building a holiday watchlist, our guides to November 2026 movie release dates, every release through December and Hallmark's Christmas premieres cover everything else coming this season.
Ebenezer Box Office: What Tracking Says About Opening Weekend
Gold Derby's Nov. 12 box office preview says Ebenezer is tracking for $20 million to $23 million, and it predicts $22 million for Nov. 13-15. That would give Depp his first No. 1 at the box office since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018. THR reports Paramount projects about $20 million domestically and another $20 million internationally, which would likely place it first.
The weekend field, per Gold Derby's forecast
- Ebenezer: about $22 million
- Godzilla Minus Zero: about $13 million in its second weekend, after what Gold Derby calls the biggest opening ever for a live-action foreign-language film
- The Cat in the Hat: $10 million to $13 million
- How to Rob a Bank: $6 million to $8 million
- You Can See Everything: $5 million to $7 million
The last title is the A24 documentary we covered in why the Elizabeth Holmes doc is a hit. Gold Derby says it has beaten its forecast every week.
The UK and Ireland launch
Screen International reports that Ebenezer is the widest new release in UK and Ireland cinemas this weekend, in more than 600 locations, and describes it as a test of whether Depp can still draw a crowd there. For comparison, Screen notes that Jim Carrey's 2009 animated A Christmas Carol earned £20.4 million in the territory, while last year's Christmas Karma, which got a critical bruising, finished at £1.3 million. Those numbers show how wide the range is for Dickens films.
The budget is the other half of the equation. Gold Derby reports Paramount made Ebenezer for about $38 million and that Depp took a pay cut to star. TheWrap, by contrast, frames the $20 million projection as a sign of how far expectations for Depp have fallen from his peak years, when it says three Pirates of the Caribbean films and Alice in Wonderland grossed more than $4 billion worldwide combined.
What Would Make the Ebenezer Box Office a Win?
The opening weekend is only the first number. TheWrap says that on that budget level the film could be a modest success, but that the hope is word of mouth keeps it in theaters into December, even with a relatively soft launch. A holiday title also has a built-in advantage: it can keep earning as Christmas gets closer, a pattern that depends on audiences actually recommending it.
Depp's return to studio films
Screen International calls this Depp's first US studio film in eight years, after Warner Bros.' Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. It says he stepped out of the spotlight in 2018 after legal and personal troubles and has since worked on smaller European projects. THR notes his next film is Lionsgate's Day Drinker, slated for March 2027. THR reports that Paramount has leaned on data suggesting audiences want Depp back, and that the film's marketing includes in-character appearances and the trailer line "It's good to be back."
THR also quotes outside analysts who see a mix of nostalgia and international appeal. Their opinions differ, so this guide sticks to the numbers and the reviews. Actual weekend results will show how it really played.
One practical note before you buy tickets: the scary tone may change who you bring.
If gift shopping is also on your list, our 10 picks for movie lovers is a good place to start.
FAQ: Ebenezer
When does Ebenezer come out?
Paramount's Ebenezer opens in wide theatrical release on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, in more than 3,500 North American locations.
Is Ebenezer rated R?
No. Variety, THR and Rotten Tomatoes list it as PG-13 for frightening material. Critics still describe it as scarier than most Christmas Carol films.
Who stars in Ebenezer?
Johnny Depp plays Scrooge. Ian McKellen, Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Andrea Riseborough, Tramell Tillman, Arthur Conti and Ellie Bamber also appear.
How long is Ebenezer?
The film runs 1 hour 56 minutes (116 minutes), according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter.
Will Ebenezer be on streaming?
Paramount has not announced a streaming or digital date. Any date you see online right now is an estimate.
The Bottom Line and Sources
Ebenezer is a handsome, spooky, mostly familiar Christmas Carol with a high-profile star and a box office forecast that points to a No. 1 debut. Whether it becomes a holiday staple depends on word of mouth. Box office figures here are forecasts, not results.
Sources read for this article: Gold Derby, The Hollywood Reporter (box office), Variety, TheWrap, Screen International, Deadline, Rotten Tomatoes and ComingSoon.
Editor at Trend Ranker covering US trends, tech, travel and deals. We research from primary sources (official sites, press releases, data) and update posts when facts change. Editorial policy