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.
The star of the multibillion “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise has been working in independent and foreign films for several years after his much-publicized domestic abuse allegations and defamation legal battles with Amber Heard, and Ti West’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” marks his return to Hollywood. The film was produced on a reported $38 million budget with a marketing spend of $50 million.
As hoped by Paramount when the project was greenlit, Depp’s fans have driven early turnout with 50% of those surveyed saying the actor was the reason they bought a ticket. That fanbase is considerably more pleased than critics, who gave the film mixed reviews while audience scores include an A- on CinemaScore and 4.5/5 on PostTrak.
Now the goal for “Ebenezer” will be to turn the excitement among Depp’s fans into wider interest against upcoming competition like “Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” and “Hexed.” While its status as a Christmas film should allow “Ebenezer” to keep some theatrical presence through December, it could get lost in the shuffle during a busy holiday season that not only includes the one-two punch of “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part Three” but a wide range of other titles like “Jumanji: Open World,” “Mr. Irrelevant” and “Werwulf” among others.
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. With a $36.7 million domestic cume, the $92 million Dr. Seuss adaptation is trying to build momentum among families as Thanksgiving draws near.
The big misfire of the weekend is Amazon MGM’s “How to Rob a Bank,” a $60 million David Leitch heist film starring Nicholas Hoult earned just $2.2 million from 2,810 locations and is pacing for an opening weekend of just $4.7 million, placing in the No. 7 spot on the charts behind the $5 million opening of Sony’s action film acquisition “Ghost Soldier” starring Jim Caviziel.
The film about a group of YouTubing bank robbers with a Robin Hood philosophy has received negative reviews with a 33% Rotten Tomatoes score and middling audience reception with a B- on CinemaScore, signaling a likely quick exit from many multiplexes.
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. The good news is that with an estimated $48 million 10-day total, it should still exceed the $57 million U.S. run of its 2023 predecessor, “Godzilla Minus One.”
The holds are much stronger for Sony Pictures’ “Ramayana: Rise of a Legend,” which is making $5.5 million in its second weekend and will reach $24 million after 10 days in theaters. It is set to cross the $28 million U.S. total of fellow 2026 Indian hit “Dhurandhar 2: The Revenge” and has become the fastest Indian film to cross Rs 1,000 crore — or approximately $106 million — worldwide.
