Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 24
Johnny Depp Crashes Comic-Con Panel as Scrooge, Unveiling First 'Ebenezer' Trailer
Updated
Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 24

Johnny Depp Crashes Comic-Con Panel as Scrooge, Unveiling First 'Ebenezer' Trailer

3 articles · Updated · USA TODAY · Jul 24

Summary

  • Johnny Depp made an unannounced San Diego Comic-Con appearance on July 23, walking onto Collider’s Hall H directors panel in full Ebenezer Scrooge costume and performing a brief in-character monologue.
  • The stunt ended with Depp tossing candy to the crowd and exiting to the sound of chains and Jacob Marley’s voice, after which the first trailer for Ti West’s "Ebenezer" played and was released online.
  • "Ebenezer" opens Nov. 13 and marks Depp’s first major Hollywood film in years, with the trailer leaning into that comeback by invoking characters like Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands and the Mad Hatter.
  • Paramount also staged a second Scrooge appearance at a Comic-Con installation in San Diego, extending the film’s promotional push around Depp’s return to public visibility.

Insights

Will immersive character stunts now replace traditional panels as the ultimate fan experience at Comic-Con?
Can a theatrical stunt truly reset a celebrity's narrative, or does it just trade one performance for another?
Is this immersive marketing the new industry blueprint, or a costly gamble only A-listers can afford?