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San Diego Comic-Con is famous for legendary pop-culture surprises, but SDCC 2026 just delivered one for the record books.
Moviegoers and convention-goers in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter were stunned when Johnny Depp emerged in full Victorian prosthetics, top hat, and overcoat as Ebenezer Scrooge. After playfully scolding onlookers at the fan activation, Depp headed over to the iconic Hall H to premiere the official teaser trailer for Paramount Pictures‘ highly anticipated reimagining, Ebenezer.
Here is everything that went down during Johnny Depp’s unforgettable SDCC appearance and what we learned about director Ti West’s upcoming holiday dark fantasy.
The “Ebenezer’s Office” Activation: A Guerrilla-Style Fan Surprise
Before heading inside the convention center, the Pirates of the Caribbean star staged a guerrilla-style character interaction outside a custom-built, snow-covered storefront marked “Scrooge & Marley”.
Dressed in full makeup and period attire, Depp stayed strictly in character, glaring at the growing crowd before delivering classic Scrooge-isms.
“Do you have jobs? It seems as though you have so much spare time. Why are you here?” Depp grumbled to cheering fans. “I can only say you’re all very, very strange people. Humbug!”
Videos of the interaction instantly went viral across social media, setting the stage for what would be one of the biggest Hall H panels of the weekend.
Hall H Takeover: First Trailer for ‘Ebenezer’ Drops
Following his street-level appearance, Depp took the stage during Collider’s Directors on Directing panel in Hall H to unveil the first official trailer for Ebenezer. Still sporting his Scrooge persona, the actor teased the audience before launching the footage with a dry, “It’s good to be back”—a nod to both his character’s journey through time and his own return to major Hollywood studio projects.
What We Learned About Paramount’s ‘Ebenezer’
Directed by acclaimed horror filmmaker Ti West (X, Pearl, Maxxxine) and written by Nathaniel Halpern, Ebenezer promises a fresh, darker, horror-fantasy take on Charles Dickens’ classic 1843 novella A Christmas Carol.
A Major Studio Return for Johnny Depp
Depp’s last appearance at San Diego Comic-Con was back in 2018 in character as Grindelwald. His return to Hall H alongside a major studio like Paramount Pictures marks a notable milestone in his career comeback.
With Ti West at the helm and a theatrical release right before Thanksgiving, Ebenezer is shaping up to be one of late 2026’s most intriguing blockbuster releases.
EBENEZER ONLY IN THEATRES NOVEMBER 13, 2026
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