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Johnny Depp's 'Ebenezer' Leads Box Office With $6.7 Million on Opening Day

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Entertainment Desk

In Short: Johnny Depp's 'Ebenezer' topped the box office with $6.7 million on opening day, while 'How to Rob a Bank' struggled with $2.2 million.

Johnny Depp's 'Ebenezer' led the box office with $6.7 million on opening day, according to Variety. The film, an adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol,' marks Depp's return to the big screen after a hiatus since 2018's 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.'

'Ebenezer' is expected to gross $20 million over the weekend, driven by fan support for Depp. The film received an A- CinemaScore, indicating strong audience reception.

Paramount's 'Ebenezer' is set to top the box office with $22 million in ticket sales through Nov. 15, according to projections from BoxOfficeReport.com. The film's performance is a disappointment for Paramount, which has been looking to revitalize its box office presence.

'How to Rob a Bank' is opening well below Leitch’s recent work, including 'Bullet Train' ($30 million domestic debut) and 'The Fall Guy' ($27.7 million domestic debut), although those featured more proven box office draws in Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling, respectively.

TheWrap reported that 'Ebenezer' marks Depp's return to the box office charts after a hiatus since 2018's 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.' The film's opening day performance was driven by fans of Depp, who are expected to continue supporting the movie in the coming weeks.

'Ebenezer' marks Depp's first studio project since 2018’s 'Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald,' as he took a hiatus from high-profile work following abuse allegations from ex-wife Amber Heard that Depp has denied, in addition to negative headlines amid his and Heard’s 2022 defamation trial.

'Ebenezer' is set to top the box office with $20+ million opening weekend, according to BoxOfficeReport.com. The film's performance is a disappointment for Paramount, which has been looking to revitalize its box office presence.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• Box office analysts have largely stopped following DC Studios' Clayface, but as of Wednesday, it had grossed $59.4 million in the U.S. Its run is winding down, so a Digital release date in the coming weeks now seems likely.
• The Paramount Pictures release, which is Depp’s first theatrical appearance since 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, also features Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen.
• The actor’s fans are driving turnout for Ti West’s Dickens adaptation while Amazon MGM’s “How to Rob a Bank” falls out of the top 5 Paramount’s “ Ebenezer ” marks the return of Johnny Depp to the box office charts with a modest $6.7 million opening day from 3,535 locations, putting the film on course for a studio estimated $20 million domestic opening weekend and $40 million worldwide.
• Among holdovers, Toho/GKids’ “Godzilla Minus Zero” is proving to be very frontloaded despite the acclaim with a $7.5 million second weekend, falling a steep 75% from its $30.6 million opening.
• “ Ebenezer,” an adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge, led the box office on Friday with $6.7 million on opening day.

What's still developing

• Following his Ebenezer return, the expectation is that Depp will reunite with Disney for a new Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
• Overall, the pic is leaning 52% female, with women over 25 the biggest demo at 41%, which is not surprising on a Depp movie.
• Finding those legs is also the mission of Warner Bros.’ “The Cat in the Hat,” which is holding decently with a $10 million second weekend that is a 50% drop from its opening.
• As Hollywood kept a distance, Depp appeared in underseen indies like the 2020 drama “Minamata” and the 2023 period piece “Jeanne du Barry” and he directed the 2024 biopic “Modì, Three Days on the Wing of Madness.” Another newcomer, Sony’s action thriller “Ghost Soldier,” starring Jim Caviezel as a former American Special Forces soldier, grossed $1.5 million from 2,558 locations on Friday.
• “How to Rob a Bank” placed third on Friday, but it’s bracing for No.
• Godzilla Minus Zero, the highly anticipated sequel to 2023's 'Godzilla Minus One,' dominated the box office with a $14.5 million opening day, according to Animationxpress.
• Warner Bros. fired him from the "Harry Potter" spinoff series in 2020 after Amber Heard published her op-ed accusing him of assault. Depp then won the defamation trial against Heard in the U.S., and "Ebenezer" is his comeback attempt. Based on these numbers, it's working. Sony's " Ghost Soldier " had a quieter debut. The action thriller stars Jim Caviezel as a former American Special Forces soldier and made $1.5M from 2,558 locations on Friday. It's tracking for $4.9M over the three-day weekend and $8M across its first five days. On an $18M budget, that's not a disaster, but it's not much of a win either. And then there's " How to Rob a Bank."
• " Ebenezer," Depp's PG-13 take on Scrooge, topped the box office on Friday with $6.7M on opening day.

Sources

• ComicBookMovie.comlink
• Deadlinelink
• Mediaplaynewslink
• The Hollywood Reporterlink
• Thewraplink
• Varietylink
• Warpbeatlink
• World of Reellink
• WarpBeat — background on Godzilla Minus Zero Dominates Box Office With $14.5 Million on Friday link
• Wikipedia — background on Box office link
• Paramount Pictures / YouTube — video link