Johnny Depp is back in this new film

Sources close to the production confirm that Depp is in final negotiations for the role, which will see him headline his first major studio project since his long legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.

British actress Andrea Riseborough will also star alongside him. The film is scheduled for a theatrical release in November 2026.

Described as «a thrilling ghost story set in Dickens' London,» the film follows one man's supernatural journey to face his past, present, and future in a desperate fight for redemption and a second chance at life.

This marks a turning point for Depp, whose career took a back seat to years of courtroom drama and personal controversy.

Since his defamation trial, the actor has focused on smaller independent projects, rebuilding his reputation away from the Hollywood mainstream.

Earlier this year, Depp wrapped Day Drinker with Penélope Cruz and completed Modi, a biopic he directed about painter Amedeo Modigliani starring Al Pacino and Stephen Graham - set to hit U.S. theaters on November 7. His art exhibition, A Bunch of Stuff, will also open in Tokyo next month.

For many fans, this casting feels like poetic justice.

Much like Scrooge himself, Depp appears to be confronting his own ghosts - both personal and professional - and fighting for a fresh start. Hollywood, it seems, is finally ready to welcome him back.

Industry observers see Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol as a major test of Depp's box-office appeal in the post-scandal era.

If successful, it could fully restore his status as one of Hollywood's most magnetic leading men and open the door to more big-budget collaborations in the years to come.