‘I'm not the man I was’: Johnny Depp is back with his biggest role since his highly publicized legal battles

 The trailer for “Ebenezer,” Paramount Pictures’ newest entry into the “A Christmas Carol” lore, is more like a promo video for star Johnny Depp himself. Playing a man haunted by the ghosts of his past in his first major release since his ex-wife’s allegations of abuse and a slew of legal troubles landed the once bankable star in Hollywood’s figurative hinterland, it has all the subtlety of a bulldozer. At one point, Depp, heavily made up and grey-haired, winks at the camera and says, “It’s good to be back.” In a different cut of the trailer: “I’m not the man I was.”

Depp never really went away — he busied himself with indie and self-produced flicks over the past few years — but the lengthy lawsuits he pursued in what he framed as a bid to clear his name seriously damaged his reputation, costing him his job as the villain in Harry Potter spinoff series “Fantastic Beasts” and leading to a near-decade long absence from Hollywood. His new film seems to place a clear bet on an affirmative answer to the question of whether the film industry – and audiences – are ready to forgive Depp. (“Ebenezer” is distributed by Paramount Pictures. Paramount, CNN and Warner Bros, have the same parent company, Skydance.)

Nellee Holmes, the executive producer of “Jeanne du Barry,” a 2023 French film that cast Depp as Louis XV when he was still struggling to find mainstream Hollywood work and earned a massive standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, expects “Ebenezer” to do well. Throughout his legal battles, Depp has maintained devout friends in the industry, “people who trust in him,” she said, calling him “a good human being.” Particularly in Europe, where “Ebenezer” and his next project were filmed, there’s a contingent that “sees Johnny differently,” she said. “You cannot say anything that makes him bad.” And his artistic output, she said, speaks for itself: “His work is his weapon.”

Mary Anne Franks, a professor at George Washington University Law School who has spent years fighting online abuse and wrote about the Depp v. Heard case in her book, “Fearless Speech,” noted that in a broader political sense, the world is primed for a Depp comeback. Backlash against male celebrities and politicians accused of abuse or violence against women in recent years has, in many cases, been temporary, with some returning to their professions with the same levels of success and fame as they had prior.

Depp, Franks said, may have even benefited from the huge media coverage of the trial and its contribution to his image as countercultural icon.

“Not only has he not suffered meaningful consequences, he’s been lauded, and he became a hero to certain people,” Franks said.

Anatomy of a comeback

Paramount appeared to be testing the waters by dispatching Depp dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge to Comic-Con in San Diego this summer, where he scowled at passersby, camouflaged in full makeup and costume. His appearance seemed to be well received, with a cheering crowd of surprised onlookers and lots of good press. With a November 13 release, the studio seems to be banking on the viability of a family-friendly Christmas flick, replete with popular names (Rupert Grint, Ian McKellan and Daisy Ridley round out the cast) and a fairly successful filmmaker (the horror director Ti West). “Ebenezer” test audiences have rated Depp and the film in general highly, according to Puck.

Depp’s continued star power – and data showing audiences’ continued enthusiasm for him – was an important factor in his casting, a source familiar with the film said. Paramount and Depp’s publicist both declined to comment on the record.

Depp will follow up “Ebenezer” with a starring turn in “Day Drinker,” alongside Penelope Cruz and Madelyn Cline. In the United Kingdom, a gallery is hosting a show of Depp’s artworks, including a gloomy self-portrait and several collages. Long-stalled talks for him to resume his role in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise have restarted.