Johnny Depp is back, and women over 35 are apparently thrilled about it. Test screenings for Ebenezer, his upcoming Christmas Carol reimagining, reportedly scored an 80 out of 100 overall. Depp himself scored an 86. Among women over 35, that number jumped to 90. The industry norm for a lead character is around 67. So yeah, people like Johnny Depp.
The movie is a Ti West-directed origin story for Ebenezer Scrooge. It’s set to hit theaters on November 13. Paramount tested a rough cut in Paramus, New Jersey, in August. Studio heads reportedly left the theater elated. The numbers backed up the reaction. Ebenezer is doing exactly what Paramount hoped it would do: it’s making people forget about the legal saga and remember that Depp is a movie star.
That’s the thing about test screenings. They’re not about whether a movie is good. They’re about whether audiences will show up. And audiences, at least the ones in that Paramus theater, are ready to show up for Ebenezer. Depp hasn’t had a major studio hit in years. His last few films have been small international projects. Ebenezer is his first real shot at a comeback. If the test scores mean anything, he’s going to get it.
The trailer for Ebenezer leaned heavily on Depp’s filmography, ending with a title card that said “It’s good to be back.” The marketing is not subtle. It’s not trying to be. Paramount knows what it has. They know that Depp has a fanbase that never left, even when Hollywood did. Women over 35 are a powerful demographic. If they’re giving Ebenezer a 90, that’s a signal.
The film is directed by Ti West, who’s known for horror movies like X and Pearl. Putting him on a Christmas Carol adaptation is a choice. But it’s a choice that seems to be working. West knows how to build tension. He knows how to make audiences uncomfortable. A Scrooge origin story is the perfect playground for that. Ebenezer isn’t just a retelling. It’s a reimagining. And based on the test scores, it’s a reimagining that people are willing to pay for.
Of course, test screenings can be misleading. A rough cut in New Jersey is not the same as a global release. But the numbers are the numbers. Ebenezer is tracking well. Depp is tracking well. The question now is whether the rest of the world feels the same way. If they do, expect to see a lot more of Johnny Depp in the next few years. Jerry Bruckheimer is already talking about Pirates of the Caribbean. Tim Burton has said he’d work with him again. The door is opening.
The Puck report that revealed these numbers also noted that Depp made his biggest public appearance since the legal battle at Comic-Con last month. He’s on a charm offensive. The Ebenezer trailer is part of that. The test scores are part of that. Everything about this rollout is designed to remind people why they liked Johnny Depp in the first place. It’s working. At least in Paramus.
Ebenezer opens November 13. If you’re a woman over 35, you’re apparently the target audience. If you’re not, well, you might still like it. Test audiences did.
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