Overview
- Depp surprised fans in San Diego in full Ebenezer Scrooge makeup and costume, staying in character while moving through a Victorian 'Christmas village' Paramount built in the Gaslamp Quarter.
- Hours after the live appearance, Paramount released the film's first trailer, which features Depp addressing the camera with the line "It's good to be back" and montages that echo some of his earlier iconic roles.
- Depp unexpectedly joined a Hall H panel carrying a candle, approached the podium and handed it to director John Francis Daley while speaking in character to the audience.
- Ti West directs the darker reimagining of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, which stars Ian McKellen, Andrea Riseborough, Daisy Ridley and Rupert Grint and is scheduled for U.S. release in November 2026.
- The stunt and immediate trailer rollout mark Depp's first major U.S. studio film since 2019 and are designed to generate early social media and fan buzz that Paramount can measure ahead of the film's theatrical debut.