World news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Box Office: Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer’ Opens to No. 1 With $19 Million, ‘How to Rob a Bank’ Stumbles With $5 Million Debut
“Ebenezer”, Johnny Depp’s adaptation of “A Christmas Carol”, opened at No. 1 in North American cinemas with $19 million. The result marks Depp’s first major film role in eight years and may encourage studios to cast him again, though analysts said the opening did not show overwhelming audience enthusiasm.
The film earned $23 million overseas, giving it a $42 million global opening, against a $38 million production budget. Critics gave it a 53% Rotten Tomatoes score, while audiences awarded it an A- CinemaScore; about half of ticket buyers cited Depp as a reason for attending. “How to Rob a Bank” opened at No. 7 with $5 million domestically and $10.3 million worldwide, despite a production cost above $40 million.
In short
- “Ebenezer” opened at No. 1 with $19 million in North America.
- Its global opening reached $42 million against a $38 million budget.
- “How to Rob a Bank” debuted with $5 million domestically.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The opening gives studios evidence that Depp can still draw audiences: “Ebenezer” led the domestic box office, earned $42 million worldwide and received an A- from audiences. With about half of ticket buyers citing him as a reason for attending, supporters could argue that casting him again is a commercially reasonable choice, especially if audience response holds up over time.
The case against
A No. 1 debut does not by itself show strong demand, and the $19 million domestic opening was described as short of overwhelming enthusiasm. The film’s $38 million production budget and mixed critical score leave uncertainty about its overall prospects, while a renewed focus on Depp could be hard to justify if studios prioritise sustained audience interest and financial returns.
Explained simply
The box office ranks films by ticket sales, with “domestic” figures here referring to North American cinemas. A film’s opening weekend is its first few days in cinemas, and studios use those sales to gauge audience interest and whether a release may earn back its costs.
Johnny Depp is an actor whose recent years have included few major film roles. “Ebenezer” adapts Charles Dickens’s familiar story “A Christmas Carol”, about a miser visited by spirits who prompt him to reconsider his life.
Studios consider opening sales alongside production costs and later ticket sales when deciding how films perform financially and what projects to back. Reviews and audience surveys offer different measures of reception, while the names of well-known actors can also influence viewers’ choices.
Americas Business Entertainment Film Markets World