Johnny Depp is back in a major Hollywood film — but for a fraction of his old salary.
Depp, 63, stars as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ebenezer, a new take on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which opens in cinemas on Friday, 13 November 2026.
According to Variety, Depp was paid $5 million for the role. That is a massive pay cut from his peak Hollywood days. He was paid $16 million for 2018's Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, despite filming only one scene, and a reported $90 million including backend profits for 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
So why take the smaller deal? Reports say Depp took a creative deal because he believed in the film and wanted real ownership — with box-office bonuses that could push his final earnings higher if the film performs well.
Ebenezer, directed by Ti West and distributed by Paramount, cost a reported $38 million to make. It is tracking for an opening weekend of around $20 million in the US, with another $20 million internationally. It also stars Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Ian McKellen and Sam Claflin.
The film marks Depp's first major Hollywood role in eight years, since his 2022 defamation trial win against ex-wife Amber Heard. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has also confirmed talks about Depp returning to Pirates of the Caribbean in a supporting role.
Early reviews are mixed — Ebenezer debuted at 50% on Rotten Tomatoes from 62 critic reviews ahead of its release.
Is $5 million the start of a comeback on new terms — or a sign of how much Hollywood has changed for Depp? Fans will decide at the box office this weekend.
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