Ebenezer London Premiere Red Carpet: Johnny Depp Leads Cast
Johnny Depp joined director Ti West and co-stars Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Tramell Tillman, Ellie Bamber and Robert Strong at the global premiere of Ebenezer in London's Leicester Square. Depp plays Scrooge in a gothic-tinged Dickens remake billed as his comeback.
Johnny Depp walked the red carpet at the global premiere of Ebenezer in London's Leicester Square on Monday night, alongside director Ti West and cast members Rupert Grint, Sam Claflin, Tramell Tillman, Ellie Bamber and Robert Strong.
Organizers dressed the Ebenezer London premiere red carpet for the season. Christmas trees lined the route, artificial snow lay underfoot and 1950s festive classics played over the speakers. Temperatures dropped on the night, ending an unseasonably balmy autumn.
Fans turn out for Depp
The chill did not deter the crowd. Fans packed the red-carpet enclosure, most of them hoping for a glimpse of Depp.
He arrived on time, spoke to handpicked media and then worked the fan line.
Depp plays Ebenezer Scrooge in the film, which is being billed as his comeback after he was left out in the cold following his high-profile legal battles with ex-wife Amber Heard. Rumors are rife that a strong performance could help green-light a Pirates of the Caribbean reboot with Depp back as Captain Jack Sparrow. Nothing has been confirmed.
On Monday, the public at least appeared to have moved on, with Depp clearly the main draw.
A shared love of Dickens
West said he and Depp bonded over Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol and over admiration for Alastair Sim's performance as Scrooge in a 1951 adaptation.
"I've been obsessed with it since I was little kid," West said on the red carpet. He recalled reading the story every Christmas and being drawn to it as a ghost story. As a small child, he said, he also saw the George C. Scott film, and Marley scared him.
West said Depp approached him about the role once he heard the production was in the works. He said he had not known Depp shared the obsession. "It was a weird cosmic thing where it was meant to be," West said.
Depp confirmed the account in a public interview before going into the cinema. "I adored it as a child and to this day I know there is no better person to play Ebenezer Scrooge than Alastair Sim… the challenge is to find another angle," he said.
He praised West for creating an atmosphere on set that left room to experiment with the role.
Gothic horror, family appeal
Given West's horror filmography, the adaptation leans into gothic horror. That gives it an extra frisson beyond earlier big-screen versions.
Bamber, who plays Ebenezer's long-lost love, said it remains very much a family film. "It's still very Christmassy with a hint of fright," she said.
