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Johnny Depp lands one of his biggest roles following Amber Heard defamation battle

Depp is circling a movie produced by Paramount

Hollywood's break from Depp appears to be over

OCTOBER 24, 2025 4:47 PM EDTOCT 24, 2025, 4:47 PM EDT

Johnny Depp seems to have landed his next big role. The 62-year-old American actor is in talks to play one of the most storied characters of all time, Ebenezer Scrooge, in "Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol," one of Paramount's latest productions.

Depp rents a mansion in the area — Depp has signed on to a new major Hollywood film

If the deal comes through, Depp would be joining the movie directed by Ti West, who recently directed the "X" trilogy of films to critical and commercial acclaim. Oscar-nominated Andrea Riseborough is also in talks to star.

"Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol" was written by Nathaniel Halpern and is an adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," one of the most beloved stories of all time, inspiring dozens of film and TV adaptations over the years. The movie traditionally follows Scrooge, an old and grumpy man who's visited by different ghosts and spirits, including the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come.

The film is scheduled to premiere on November 13, 2026.

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN - SEPTEMBER 24: Director Johnny Depp attends the 'Modi, Three Days On The Wing Of Madness' photocall during the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival at the Kursaal Palace on September 24, 2024 in San Sebastian, Spain. (Photo by Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images) — Depp will be playing Ebenezer Scrooge

Depp's slow reintroduction to Hollywood

This is a significant movie for Depp, representing one of the biggest and most notorious roles he's acquired since the defamation and lawsuit involving Amber Heard in 2022. The ordeal resulted in Depp being dropped from the Harry Potter spin-off "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore," and being blacklisted from Hollywood.

"I was shunned, dumped, booted, deep-sixed, cancelled, however you want to define it," said Depp in an interview with The Telegraph. When addressing the trial with his ex-wife, he said, "I fought it because had I not then I wouldn't have been me."

Amber Heard listens in the courtroom at the Fairfax County Circuit Courthouse in Fairfax, Virginia, on May 23, 2022 — Depp was blacklisted from Hollywood for a short while before and after the Amber Heard defamation scandal

"Would I rather have not gone through that? Of course. But I learned more than I ever dreamed I could."

Depp's Hollywood shunning appears to be over by now. Over the past months, he's been slowly welcomed back by the industry, with him signing on to the Lionsgate movie "Day Drinker," starring opposite Penelope Cruz, Madelyn Cline, and more.

"I’m excited to be starting production with Johnny, Madelyn, Penélope, and this incredible cast," said director Marc Webb. "We’re in a beautiful location with a fantastic crew and a thrilling, ferocious story to tell. This is gonna be fun."