“Ebenezer,” a holiday-themed adaptation of “A Christmas Carol” featuring Johnny Depp in the role of Scrooge, opened atop the North American box office on Friday with $6.7 million in daily receipts. The film, directed by Ti West and carrying a PG-13 rating, is expected to accumulate between $18 million and $20 million during its opening weekend from 3,535 theaters domestically, with an additional $20 million projected from international markets for a global total near $38 million to $40 million. The production budget stood at $38 million. Exit polling assigned the film an “A-” CinemaScore rating.
The release marks a significant return for Depp to major studio filmmaking, representing his first major theatrical film in eight years following 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.” In the interim, Depp has appeared in limited-release independent films and directed a biographical project. The timing of his return to mainstream cinema comes after several years in which major studios declined to work with him.
Among other new releases, Amazon MGM’s “How to Rob a Bank,” a heist comedy directed by David Leitch and featuring an ensemble cast, opened to $2.2 million on Friday with projections of approximately $4.75 million for the traditional weekend period. The film, produced with a budget exceeding $40 million, received mixed critical reception and audience response, earning a “B-” CinemaScore grade and a 33% critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Sony’s “Ghost Soldier,” an action thriller centered on a former Special Forces operative, generated $1.5 million on its opening day with a projected $4.9 million traditional weekend total and an estimated $8 million five-day haul. The film carried an $18 million production budget. Both newcomers faced challenges competing against established holdovers, including animated features that continued to draw audiences during the holiday season.
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