'Ebenezer' Opens No. 1 With $19 Million for Paramount as Amazon MGM's 'How to Rob a Bank' Stumbles With $5 Million

Paramount's "Ebenezer," starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge, opened at No. 1 at the North American box office with an estimated $19 million and $42 million worldwide, according to studio estimates reported Sunday. Amazon MGM Studios' "How to Rob a Bank" debuted at No. 7 with about $5 million, while Sony's "Ghost Soldier" placed sixth.

Nov 15, 2026 - 13:18

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Paramount's "Ebenezer," director Ti West's adaptation of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" starring Johnny Depp as Scrooge, opened at No. 1 at the North American box office this weekend with an estimated $19 million from 3,535 theaters, according to studio estimates reported Sunday by Deadline, Variety and TheWrap. The film added $23 million from 63 overseas markets for a global start of $42 million, Variety reported.

The result came in just below the $20 million that Paramount had projected on Saturday, Deadline reported. Two other wide releases, Amazon MGM Studios' "How to Rob a Bank" and Sony's "Ghost Soldier," opened outside the top five, while holdovers "The Cat in the Hat" and "Godzilla Minus Zero" held the No. 2 and No. 3 positions.

Budget, audience and Depp's return

Paramount spent $38 million to produce "Ebenezer," according to Variety, which reported that Depp was paid $5 million with bonuses tied to box office performance. Deadline described the $5 million as an upfront fee lower than the actor's previous $20 million average, paired with a back-end tied to the film's profit. TheWrap reported a marketing campaign of $50 million. Deadline reported that the film was the first big greenlight of Paramount's new administration since last year's Skydance merger.

The PG-13 film is Depp's first major movie role in eight years, since 2018's "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald," Variety reported. The outlet noted that Depp's Hollywood career began to unravel in 2020 after allegations of domestic abuse made by his ex-wife Amber Heard, which he has denied, resulted in two high-profile defamation trials.

Audiences gave "Ebenezer" an "A-" grade on CinemaScore, while the film holds a 53% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes, according to Variety. Around 50% of moviegoers cited Depp as a reason for attending, making him the film's top attendance driver, according to PostTrak data cited by Variety; Deadline similarly reported that 50% of the audience came as fans of the actor. Variety reported that audiences were 52% female and that 59% were aged 30 or older, and that the movie performed best in the South, per the studio.

"This is a solid opening for a Christmas-themed movie," David A. Gross, who publishes the box office newsletter FranchiseRe, told Variety. "Johnny Depp remains a major celebrity around the world, and director Ti West brings some edge." Jeff Bock, an analyst with Exhibitor Relations, told Variety: "This benchmark tells the industry that Depp is once again castable, marketable and capable of opening a studio movie."

Deadline reported that Saturday's $7.1 million was up 35% from Friday's $5.2 million excluding previews, though families represented 10% of the overall audience. It noted that Lionsgate's "The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping," opening next weekend, could do $100 million. Depp's next film is Lionsgate's 2027 action thriller "Day Drinker," co-starring Penélope Cruz, according to Variety.

'How to Rob a Bank' and 'Ghost Soldier' open soft

"How to Rob a Bank," directed by David Leitch and starring Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz and Pete Davidson, opened at No. 7 with $5 million from 2,810 theaters, according to Variety; Deadline and TheWrap put the figure at $5.1 million. Variety reported that the R-rated heist comedy added $5.1 million from 73 international territories for a global total of $10.3 million.

Reported production costs for the film differ by outlet. Variety said it was produced for more than $40 million, and Deadline cited a reported net cost of $40 million, while TheWrap described it as a $60 million film. The movie received a "B-" CinemaScore and a 33% Rotten Tomatoes critics' score, according to Variety. "This is a weak opening for an original action comedy," Gross told Variety. "With limited business overseas, the movie is going to fall short of recouping its investment."

Sony's "Ghost Soldier," starring Jim Caviezel as a former American Special Forces soldier, placed sixth with $5.2 million over the three-day weekend and $8.3 million since opening on Wednesday, according to Variety and Deadline; The Numbers noted that the film opened on Veterans Day. Variety reported that the film carries an $18 million production budget, and Deadline reported that it was co-financed by TSG and produced with Mandalay.

Holdovers and the wider market

Warner Bros. Animation's "The Cat in the Hat" took second place in its second weekend with $11.4 million from 4,003 theaters, a 43% decline, according to Deadline and TheWrap, which put its domestic total at about $38 million. TheWrap reported a global total of $55.8 million against a $92 million budget. Variety, which estimated the weekend at $11 million, also cited the $92 million budget.

Toho and Gkids' "Godzilla Minus Zero," last weekend's No. 1 film, fell to third with $8.3 million, a drop of about 73% from its $30.6 million opening, according to TheWrap and Deadline. TheWrap reported that the film stands just shy of $49 million domestically and is set to pass the $57.1 million U.S. run of 2023's "Godzilla Minus One."

Sony's release of "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" was fourth with $5.5 million in its second weekend, bringing its U.S. total to $24.1 million, according to Deadline and TheWrap. TheWrap reported that the film is on course to become the highest-grossing Indian film ever in the U.S. and Canada. A24's documentary "You Can See Everything" placed fifth in its fifth weekend with about $5.4 million and has grossed $89 million, Variety reported.

Deadline estimated overall weekend business at $91.5 million, up from $74 million on the same weekend a year ago. Variety reported that the overall box office is running 20% ahead of the same point last year. "With the holiday moviegoing season getting underway, the industry has a great opportunity to build momentum heading into the final weeks of the year," Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak's head of marketplace trends, told Variety.