“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.
The PG-13 take on the Charles Dickens classic is projected to earn $18 million to $20 million from 3,535 North American theaters in its opening weekend. “Ebenezer” should bring in another $20 million overseas for a global tally around $38 million to $40 million. That would represent a solid start because Paramount spent a modest $38 million to produce the film. Audiences awarded the movie an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Directed by Ti West, known for the “X” horror trilogy, “Ebenezer” spins the oft-told tale of the curmudgeonly businessman who is visited by the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
“Ebenezer” is notable as Depp’s first major movie in eight years, since 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” Warner Bros. fired him from the “Harry Potter” spinoff series in 2020 after he lost a libel case against the British tabloid The Sun, which called the actor a “wife beater.” Depp won a subsequent defamation trial in the U.S. against his ex-wife Amber Heard, who accused him of domestic abuse. 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. It’s expected to generate $4.9 million during the traditional weekend and $8 million over its first five days of release. It was produced for $18 million.
This weekend’s other new release, Amazon MGM’s “How to Rob a Bank,” is fizzling with $2.2 million from 2,810 theaters on Friday. The heist comedy, starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz and Pete Davidson, is pacing to open to just $4.75 million. That’s not promising considering the studio produced the movie for more than $40 million, and theater owners keep about half of ticket sales. David Leitch directed the R-rated caper, which follows a crew of social media-savvy bank robbers who broadcast their daring heists, unaware their viral fame has caught the attention of the feds. “How to Rob a Bank” landed a “B-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls and tepid 33% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.
“How to Rob a Bank” placed third on Friday, but it’s bracing for No. 7 on weekend box office charts behind several holdovers, including Warner Bros. Animation’s “The Cat in the Hat” and Gkids’ “Godzilla Minus Zero.” At No. 2, “The Cat in the Hat” brought in $2.2 million on Friday and looks to generate $10 million by Sunday, a 50% decline from its debut. Those ticket sales would take the domestic tally to $36.7 million, a weak tally against a $92 million budget. “Godzilla Minus Zero” wasn’t far behind with $2.1 million on Friday. The kaiju sequel should collect $7.5 million in its second weekend, a harsh 75% drop from its opening. Still, “Godzilla Minus Zero” has been a hit in North America. Those returns will bring the Stateside haul to $48.1 million.