Johnny Depp reflects on his Hollywood comeback at the ‘Ebenezer’ premiere

Johnny Depp is entering a big moment in his career. After an eight-year Hollywood absence, Depp is back with his biggest movie in years. He's also preparing for the release of another movie, which sees him reuniting with his old friend, Penelope Cruz.  

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Depp was featured on the red carpet for his new film, "Ebenezer." Directed by Ti West and starring a cast that includes Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, Sam Claflin, and more, the film is the latest adaptation of the beloved Charles Dickens' novella "A Christmas Carol." 

In an interview with Associated Press, Depp was asked about his Hollywood comeback and the fact that "Ebenezer" is his biggest industry movie since "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald." 

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“I don’t know. What’s the difference between a Hollywood film and a French film? What’s the difference between a Hollywood film and an English film?” said Depp.

“I mean, the difference is this: there was a bit of a vacation,” he added. “Which is fine.”

In an interview with PEOPLE, Depp also talked about his approach to the character. “It’s kind of like the first time you put the wardrobe on, and you feel that, like with any character, that becomes your kind of suit of armor,” he said. “So yeah, with Ebenezer, it’s not like some guy who needs a chiropractor. This is a guy who’s trying to make himself invisible to the world.”

Depp's vacation from Hollywood

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Over the past eight years, Depp’s career was upended by his highly publicized legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard, whose 2018 essay about domestic abuse was widely understood to be about him. It led to two trials: a UK libel case, in which a judge found that a tabloid’s claim that Depp had abused Heard was “substantially true,” and a US defamation case, in which a jury largely sided with him.

Since then, Depp has starred in the French film “Jeanne du Barry,” and he’ll next appear in “Day Drinker,” a Marc Webb thriller co-starring Penélope Cruz and Madelyn Cline, due in theaters next March.

Heard’s career, by contrast, has yet to recover. She’s since appeared only in the 2023 film “In the Fire” and in Jeremy O. Harris’ play “Spirit of the People,” her stage debut. She now lives in Spain.

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