Johnny Depp’s Test Screening Numbers for ‘Ebenezer’ Just Changed the Conversation About His Comeback
Hollywood comebacks are rarely clean, and few have been watched as closely as the one currently unfolding around Johnny Depp. After years away from major studio work, the actor is headlining a gothic reimagining of a Christmas staple, and the industry has been waiting to see whether audiences would follow. The ‘Ebenezer’ test screening results have given Paramount its first real data point.
The film itself is a notable swing. Directed by Ti West, best known for horror titles like ‘Pearl’ and ‘MaXXXine’, and written by Nathaniel Halpern, ‘Ebenezer’ positions Charles Dickens’ miser inside a ghost story about facing past, present and future.
The ensemble around Depp includes Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Daisy Ridley as Emily Cratchit, Sam Claflin as Fred, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ian McKellen.
Then came the numbers. According to Puck, where Matthew Belloni first reported the figures, Paramount tested the film on August 11 in Paramus, New Jersey, and Depp personally scored an 86 with the audience. Studio heads Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg reportedly left the theater elated.
Context is everything with test screening data. The historical norm for a lead character score sits around 67, meaning Depp cleared it by a wide margin. Belloni noted he confirmed the figures with 3 sources, and that Paramount and a representative for Depp declined to comment.
Think you know his story? Think again. Johnny Depp is Ebenezer Scrooge. The spirits arrive in the official new trailer for EBENEZER – only in theatres November 13. https://t.co/cb6p9JBq9C
— Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie) October 1, 2026
The film’s overall score was strong too, though not as eye-catching. ‘Ebenezer’ tested at 80 against an industry norm of 72, meaning roughly 4 out of 5 attendees rated it excellent or very good. For perspective, Belloni noted that only the top 10 percent of movies hit 93 or better.
The most discussed figure involves the audience segment many assumed would be the hardest sell. Women over 35 rated the film most favorably of any demographic, with Depp’s score among that group reaching 90.
That detail has fueled much of the online conversation. Reporting on the Puck piece noted that test audiences appeared largely unbothered by the details that emerged from Depp’s legal battle with Amber Heard, despite a UK judge ruling in 2020 that Heard’s description of him was substantially true.
Bringing Ebenezer Scrooge to life, in a way only Johnny Depp can. #EbenezerMovie – only in theatres November 13. https://t.co/iDWJ1AWz1R
— Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie) October 21, 2026
None of this happened by accident. Puck framed Depp’s Comic-Con appearance as the opening move in a carefully managed studio strategy, with Paramount becoming the first major studio to embrace the actor since his very public flameout and firing from ‘Fantastic Beasts’.
The marketing has leaned into that narrative openly. Depp presented first footage at Paramount’s CinemaCon presentation on April 16, and the trailer closes with Scrooge declaring that it’s good to be back, a line fans immediately read as doing double duty.
Other studios are watching. Lionsgate has his action-thriller ‘Day Drinker’ dated for March, and Disney is reportedly in talks about bringing him back as Jack Sparrow opposite Margot Robbie in another ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’.
Silent night? Not a chance. 🔔 #EbenezerMovie – only in theatres November 13. https://t.co/izAnlhvBst
— Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie) October 16, 2026
The caveats are worth stating plainly. A test screening is one room of people, and Puck itself flagged the small sample size. Strong scores measure early audience enthusiasm, not box office receipts or critical reception.
Still, the stakes are clear. This is Depp’s first major studio lead since 2018, built on a reported $40 million budget, and the industry is treating it as the test case for whether audiences will turn out for him again.
‘Ebenezer’ arrives in theaters on November 13 in the United States and United Kingdom, with Australia and Brazil getting it a day earlier, positioned by Paramount as a wide release for the Christmas season. Whether those early scores translate into ticket sales is the question everyone in town is waiting to answer.
Do you think Johnny Depp’s Ebenezer will be a successful box office comeback?
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