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Johnny Depp crashed San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday, fully transformed into Ebenezer Scrooge, complete with ghostly makeup, a black coat and a matching top hat.
The 63-year-old actor emerged outside a pop-up shop dubbed "Scrooge and Marley" in the Gaslamp Quarter, where fans had gathered since noon, sensing something big was coming. Christmas carolers kicked things off with a Yuletide medley, an odd contrast against San Diego's 80-degree afternoon.
Depp stayed fully in character, growling lines at the crowd like a man genuinely irritated by their presence. "Have you no jobs?" he croaked, scanning the onlookers with disdain. When someone shouted, "Good day to you, Mr. Scrooge," he shot back, "What's so pleasant about it?"
The actor spent nearly half an hour riffing with fans, some of whom showed up dressed as his own famous characters, including Captain Jack Sparrow and the Mad Hatter. Depp reportedly had a blast ribbing the cosplayers, leaning into the surreal moment where Scrooge met his own past creations. Later, he headed to Hall H, where the lights dropped and he reappeared, candle in hand, guiding himself through the darkness.
"Have you all no lives?" he asked, staring down the packed room before cracking a grin, tossing candy onto the floor and ordering fans to "have at it." As he exited, a ghostly voice crackled over the speakers, repeating his character's name.
Depp plays the title role in Ti West's gothic reimagining, "Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol," out in theaters November 13 via Paramount. The film marks his biggest studio comeback since 2019's "Waiting for the Barbarians," following years dominated by legal battles and tabloid drama, not blockbuster roles. He's joined by a stacked cast, including Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Ian McKellen and Tramell Tillman.
Depp got emotional discussing the role, calling it "an extraordinary privilege" and revealing he's been obsessed with Scrooge's story since childhood. Ian McKellen, who plays Jacob Marley, previously gushed about working alongside him, telling Variety the set felt like "a bit of a love fest," fueled by Depp's energy.
Paramount first teased the film at CinemaCon earlier this year, where he took the stage in Las Vegas to roaring applause, hinting at the spectacle now unfolding at Comic-Con.
