After legal battles, Johnny Depp’s Hollywood comeback comes with a catch: uncertain box-office prospects

A career under scrutiny

Depp’s reputation had faced setbacks before his 2022 defamation trial with Amber Heard. A British libel case he lost in 2020 preceded his departure from the next “Fantastic Beasts” film and “Pirates of the Caribbean 6.” In the later case, jurors found both Depp and Heard liable for defamation, and the two reached a settlement in 2022. Evidence presented during the proceedings included Depp’s violent texts about Heard; he said he was not proud of them and called them dark humor.

A lower-cost studio gamble

Paramount cast Depp as Scrooge in “Ebenezer,” a role the studio is backing with prominent promotion. The film’s reported $38 million budget is far below the $25 million Depp received upfront for “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” in 2017.

The New York Times reported that Depp agreed to a salary of about $5 million, with a larger share of proceeds if the film succeeds at the box office. That arrangement makes the project a less expensive gamble for the studio than his earlier blockbuster deal.

Redemption meets mixed reviews

Depp has promoted the movie in Dickens-inspired costume at New York’s Bryant Park holiday market and San Diego’s Comic-Con. Crisis public relations consultant Tara Goodwin said the campaign gives audiences a chance to assess him through his work rather than legal proceedings or public debate.

Scrooge’s familiar transformation offers a natural frame for a comeback, but early reviews have been weak: “Ebenezer” had a 49% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes at publication. Depp’s next listed project is “Day Drinker,” a thriller costarring Penélope Cruz.