Per Deadline, Paramount is hoping to see Ebenezer make more money at the box office, as they anticipate a $20 million opening. Ebenezer, or Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, is of course the newest take on the classic Charles Dickens’ novella, this time starring Johnny Depp as the titular “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner,” as Dickens puts it.
The last time American audiences saw Depp live on the big screen was in Minamata, which was released in 2020. Ti West, the film’s director, is best known for the “X Trilogy,” a series of gruesome horror films that each pay homage to different eras of cinema. Notably, “A Christmas Carol” is not divorced from the horror genre, being itself a Gothic ghost story, making West a unique, but conceivable, choice to direct the most recent adaptation.
Speaking of which, there evidently exists a long-standing tradition of adapting the Dickens tale, especially cinematically. George C. Scott, Bill Murray, Jim Carrey, and Michael Caine are just a few of the actors who have portrayed the businessman, whether it be for a television film, a modern reimagining, an animated movie, or a Muppets’ production respectively.
The reason for its persistent place in pop culture is often attributed to the story’s widespread appeal, particularly to families celebrating the holidays. Likely, Paramount hopes to see these families show up tonight for Ebenezer, after said film only made about $6.7 million last night.
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