Johnny Depp appears set to return to the mainstream as Ebenezer Scrooge in Paramount Pictures’ adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” helmed by horror movie director Ti West.
The 62-year-old “Pirates of the Caribbean” star — whose career suffered for years in the wake of abuse allegations leveled by ex-wife Amber Heard — is said to be in final talks to star in “Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol,” according to Variety and Nexus Point News.
Andrea Riseborough, similarly no stranger to controversy albeit of lighter fare, is also set to star.
While West is primarily known for making horror films, including the recent “X” trilogy, it’s not yet clear whether his version of “A Christmas Carol” will flirt with the gory genre.
The movie, which Paramount hopes to release next November, will mark Depp’s first role from a major studio since 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
He has slowly but surely been returning to the cinematic forefront after Heard, now 39, seemingly accused him of domestic abuse in an op-ed for The Washington Post, just over a month after the release of that film.
The allegations, after which Depp was fired from both the “Fantastic Beasts” and “Pirates” franchises, resulted in the exes facing off in a 2022 joint defamation trial that captivated the internet and led both performers to becoming persona non grata.
Riseborough, for her part, may best be known now for her eyebrow-raising best actress nomination at the 2023 Academy Awards. Her consideration campaign for “To Leslie” was accused of violating Academy rules by somehow enlisting a slew of celebrities to publicly sing her praises and increase her chances of a nomination.
The nod spurred a probe, which found “tactics that caused concern,” though the nomination was not rescinded.
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