For a performer whose name once seemed inseparable from the Hollywood blockbuster machine, Johnny Depp’s return to the multiplex has become an unusually closely watched experiment. His new film, Ebenezer, arrives with a modest budget, a familiar literary story, and a star whose relationship with the mainstream movie business has changed dramatically over the past decade. Now, Paramount has received its first meaningful audience reaction, and the numbers are giving the studio plenty to think about.

The interesting part is not simply whether audiences liked the movie. It is who they apparently came to see.

On August 11, Paramount studio heads Josh Greenstein and Dana Goldberg attended a test screening of Ebenezer in Paramus, New Jersey, where Ti West’s gothic spin on A Christmas Carol reportedly scored an 80. That means roughly four-fifths of the audience rated the movie excellent or very good, above the reported historical test-screening norm of 72. The really striking result, reported by Puck News, however, concerned Depp, who reportedly scored an 86 as a lead performer, compared with a general benchmark of 67.

According to the report, women over 35 gave Depp particularly strong marks, with his score in that demographic reaching 90. Paramount and a representative for Depp declined to comment on the figures, which were reportedly confirmed by three sources. That caveat matters because test screenings are snapshots rather than box-office prophecies. Still, the result suggests that whatever distance has grown between Depp and Hollywood's studio system has not necessarily translated into the same distance between Depp and moviegoers.

Johnny Depp’s Long-Awaited Comeback Movie Just Test Screened, and the Results Are Unexpected

That distinction could become the entire story of Ebenezer.

The film is relatively inexpensive by modern studio standards, with a reported $40 million budget, which gives Paramount considerably less exposure than a traditional effects-heavy franchise gamble. Yet its timing makes it more consequential. Johnny Depp is also attached to Day Drinker, while Disney continues to explore another Pirates of the Caribbean installment that could potentially bring back his Jack Sparrow. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer has publicly said that discussions with Depp are ongoing.

That is where the old Hollywood vocabulary of the “movie star” becomes relevant again. Depp built his career by turning eccentricity into box-office currency, frequently disappearing behind elaborate characters rather than selling audiences a straightforward version of Johnny Depp. Scrooge therefore feels oddly appropriate. He is another mask, another theatrical transformation, another strange inhabitant of the Depp cinematic universe.

Paramount has already leaned into that mythology, sending Depp to Comic-Con in character and building the trailer around his return. 

Johnny Depp's comeback is far from guaranteed, but Ebenezer has delivered the kind of early audience response that makes Hollywood pay attention. If those reported scores translate into ticket sales, Paramount may have discovered that Depp's theatrical appeal was dormant rather than gone.

Johnny Depp Transforms Into Ebenezer Scrooge in First Trailer for Ti West's 'Ebenezer'

What do you think about Johnny Depp's reported test-screening results? Share your thoughts in the comments.