Most people think of A Christmas Carol as a Christmas classic first and a horror story second. Ti West appears ready to change that.
The filmmaker behind X, Pearl and MaXXXine is directing Ebenezer, a new adaptation of Charles Dickens’ legendary story starring Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge. New images from the upcoming film have now given fans another look at Depp’s transformation, along with Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present and Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit.
What makes this version especially interesting for horror fans is that West is not trying to hide the supernatural side of the story. He has made it clear that he wants the ghosts to actually feel frightening again.
‘A Christmas Carol’ Has Always Been Horror
It is easy to forget just how dark Dickens’ original story actually is.
Scrooge is visited in the middle of the night by the ghost of his dead business partner, Jacob Marley, who appears bound in chains and warns him that three more spirits are coming. Those ghosts then force Scrooge to confront his past, witness the suffering happening around him and eventually stare directly at his own death.
That is a ghost story.
Over the years, many adaptations have leaned heavily into the warmth, humor and Christmas spirit of the story. West seems interested in bringing some of the darkness back without completely changing what Dickens originally wrote.
The director has said he wanted the supernatural visitors in his version to feel a little scarier than audiences may be used to seeing. Considering the filmmaker behind Pearl is handling the material, that immediately makes Ebenezer more interesting from a horror perspective.
Johnny Depp Takes on Scrooge
Johnny Depp leads the movie as Ebenezer Scrooge, the wealthy and deeply unpleasant businessman whose Christmas Eve becomes a supernatural nightmare.
The newly released images show Depp almost disappearing beneath the character’s aged appearance, complete with gray hair, heavy makeup and the traditional Victorian clothing associated with Scrooge.
West has described Depp’s performance as bringing humor and charm to a character who is supposed to be difficult to like. That balance could be important because A Christmas Carol only really works if audiences can believe that Scrooge is capable of changing by the time the story reaches its conclusion.
For Depp, the film is also a major return to a large Hollywood studio production.
Ian McKellen Becomes Jacob Marley
One of the most interesting casting choices may be Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley.
Marley is one of the creepiest characters in the original story. He was once Scrooge’s business partner, but after his death he is condemned to wander the world carrying heavy chains created by a lifetime of greed and selfishness.
His appearance is the first real indication to Scrooge that something terrifying is happening.
The new images offer a glimpse at McKellen’s version of Marley, while Tramell Tillman appears as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Rupert Grint, best known as Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter films, plays Bob Cratchit.
The cast also includes Andrea Riseborough, Daisy Ridley, Sam Claflin, Charlie Murphy, Arthur Conti and Ellie Bamber.
Ti West Says He Isn’t Trying to Reinvent Dickens
Despite West’s horror background, Ebenezer does not appear to be some extreme horror remake filled with blood and violence.
West has said that he loves Dickens’ original story and wants the movie to remain faithful to it. His approach seems to be less about changing the story and more about reminding audiences that the supernatural elements were always supposed to be unsettling.
That may actually be the smartest way to approach another adaptation.
There have been countless versions of A Christmas Carol, so simply telling the same story again is a difficult sell. Putting a filmmaker known for horror behind the camera gives this version a different identity without abandoning the material that made the story endure for nearly two centuries.
The Horror Feed Take
We are definitely interested in this one.
A Christmas Carol has always had horror hiding underneath the Christmas decorations. Ghosts, death, regret, isolation and a terrifying vision of your own grave are all sitting right there in the original story.
Putting Ti West behind the camera and Johnny Depp in the middle of that nightmare could finally give audiences a version that embraces the darker side of Dickens without turning the movie into something completely unrecognizable.
And if Jacob Marley and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come are actually creepy this time, even better.
Ebenezer arrives in theaters on
November 13, 2026.
