Comic-Con is known for surprise celebrity appearances, but few were as unexpected as Johnny Depp strolling through San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Depp appeared in full makeup and costume as the iconic Charles Dickens miser outside the Scrooge and Marley pop-up experience, catching fans off guard as word quickly spread that the actor was making an unannounced appearance.
The surprise didn’t end there.
Later Thursday, Depp took the stage in Hall H following an unrelated Directors on Directing panel to debut the first trailer for Ebenezer, his upcoming holiday film from director Ti West. The trailer opened with the meta line, “It’s good to be back,” a clear nod to the actor’s long absence from major Hollywood studio releases. Watch below:
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Ebenezer marks Depp’s first major studio film since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. After appearing in Hall H for that film in 2018, Depp exited the franchise in 2020 following legal battles stemming from his highly publicized split from ex-wife Amber Heard. Since then, he’s primarily appeared in independent and international productions.
That changes this fall when Paramount releases Ebenezer on Nov. 13, with Lionsgate’s Day Drinker following in 2027.
Directed by West, Ebenezer stars Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge alongside Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley and Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit.
The appearance also continues Comic-Con’s tradition of celebrities hiding in plain sight. Over the years, Bryan Cranston, Jack Black and Henry Cavill have all famously roamed the convention floor incognito before revealing themselves to surprised fans.
The Geek is a working screenwriter, director and screenwriting instructor.
