Ebenezer Earns $1.5 Million in Thursday Previews as Audiences Embrace Depp’s Comeback

admin · November 13, 2026 · 5 min read

Gothic Victorian street scene with a top-hatted silhouette evoking Ebenezer Scrooge, in the style of Johnny Depp's Ebenezer film

Ebenezer Earns $1.5 Million in Thursday Previews as Audiences Embrace Depp’s Comeback

Johnny Depp’s gothic retelling of A Christmas Carol is off to a solid start at the box office. Ebenezer collected $1.5 million in Thursday preview screenings, and early audiences are far warmer toward the film than critics have been, handing it a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and strong PostTrak marks as it opens in more than 3,500 theaters across North America on Friday.

The preview figure, reported by Deadline, came from screenings that began at 2 p.m. on Thursday. It puts the Paramount release on course for the $20 million to $23 million domestic opening weekend that trackers have projected, with another roughly $20 million expected from 63 overseas markets for a worldwide start of about $40 million.

A comeback measured in ticket sales

For Depp, the weekend is the clearest test yet of his drawing power after years away from major studio films. Ebenezer is his first big Hollywood studio release since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018, and a No. 1 finish would be his first since that film. Boxoffice Pro forecasts a $20 million to $25 million domestic opening, while industry tracking cited by Variety points to about $20 million at home and $20 million abroad.

The film is also the first big greenlight of Paramount’s new administration since last year’s Skydance merger, which adds a layer of scrutiny beyond Depp’s own comeback. Made for a reported $38 million, the Ti West-directed film needs a strong holiday run to turn a profit, and its mid-November release date gives it weeks of runway before Christmas.

Audience research has consistently suggested Depp retains his pull. An April 2026 National Research Group study ranked him among the top 10 actors most likely to draw people to cinemas, and test screenings of Ebenezer scored 80 out of 100, with Depp himself scoring 86 — well above the 67 that a lead actor typically earns.

Critics remain split while audiences cheer

The divide between critics and audiences is the story of the film’s first 24 hours. While critics remain split, with the film hovering around 50% to 53% on Rotten Tomatoes depending on when the count was taken, moviegoers who saw Thursday’s previews rated it far more warmly. The film debuted at 51% on Rotten Tomatoes from its first 59 reviews, and the score has wobbled between 50% and 53% as more reviews have arrived. On Metacritic, it sits at 46 to 48 out of 100, a “mixed or average” verdict.

The audience picture looks very different. Rotten Tomatoes’ audience score stands at 90%, and PostTrak moviegoers gave the film four to 4.5 stars. French audiences had already rated it highly on AlloCine, and the U.S. preview numbers suggest that warmth is carrying over.

Individual critics have been just as divided as the aggregate scores suggest. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film three out of five stars, praising Depp’s performance as Scrooge, while other reviewers have called the film redundant or a cash grab. The split echoes the film’s test screenings, where audiences liked the movie considerably more than the critical consensus now suggests.

The weekend ahead

Ebenezer faces modest competition this weekend. David Leitch’s heist film How to Rob a Bank, starring Nicholas Hoult and Zoe Kravitz, took $900,000 in its own Thursday previews, leaving Ebenezer a clear path to the top spot. If tracking holds, Depp will open at No. 1 for the first time in eight years.

What happens after opening weekend may matter more than the opening itself. As a Christmas film opening in mid-November, Ebenezer has the holiday season to build on word of mouth — and if the audience scores hold, the gap between critics and crowds could become the film’s best marketing asset.

Why this matters

Depp’s return is one of the most closely watched comebacks in Hollywood, and the opening weekend will be read as a verdict on whether audiences still turn out for him regardless of critical opinion. For Paramount, the result will also be an early report card on the studio’s new leadership and its bet on a dark, PG-13 take on a story that has been adapted dozens of times. A $20 million-plus opening would answer both questions in the affirmative — at least for now.

Latest developments

Ebenezer opened in U.S. and U.K. theaters on Friday, November 13, 2026. Final opening-weekend figures will be reported on Sunday, when the industry will learn whether the film met, beat, or fell short of its $20 million to $23 million tracking range.

Frequently asked questions

How much did Ebenezer make in Thursday previews?

Ebenezer earned $1.5 million in Thursday preview screenings, which began at 2 p.m., according to Deadline.

What is Ebenezer’s Rotten Tomatoes score?

Critics have the film at roughly 50% to 53% on Rotten Tomatoes, officially “rotten,” with the score shifting as new reviews arrive. Audiences, by contrast, have given it a 90% audience score.

What is Ebenezer tracking to open at?

Trackers project a domestic opening of $20 million to $23 million, with about $20 million more from overseas markets, for a worldwide opening of roughly $40 million.

Is Ebenezer Johnny Depp’s first movie in years?

It is his first major Hollywood studio film since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald in 2018. A No. 1 opening would be his first since that film.