Johnny Depp made a surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con on Thursday dressed as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Depp will play Scrooge in Ti West’s new Paramount film Ebenezer, which will be released in theaters this November. The actor appeared outside the Scrooge and Marley store in San Diego’s Gaslamp District around 2:30 p.m., but fans began flocking to the location after noon to get a glimpse of what the studio had planned to promote the film.
First, the Christmas carolers took the stage, performing a medley to get the Christmas spirit going on a balmy 80-degree afternoon. Depp then appeared, completely transformed into the grumpy character with make-up and Scrooge’s iconic black coat and matching top hat.
“Don’t you have a job?” Depp, in character, shouted to a large crowd gathered on the street. “You seem to have a lot of free time. I’m working.”
“Hello, Mr. Scrooge,” cried one. He replied curtly, “What’s so fun about it?”
Depp’s appearance was meant to be a surprise, but a few lucky fans spotted the star cosplaying as his famous characters, including Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean and the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland, and Depp took the time to poke fun at them. Depp captivated the audience with silly skits for nearly 30 minutes.
West’s Ebenezer stars Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Arthur Conti, Ellie Bamber, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Charlie Murphy, and also co-stars Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen. The film will be released in theaters on November 13th.
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol marks Depp’s return to blockbuster filmmaking after his on-camera career was recently overshadowed by legal battles and off-screen drama. Paramount premiered the film at CinemaCon earlier this year, and Depp took to the stage in Las Vegas to thunderous applause.
“It was truly an extraordinary privilege,” Depp said of playing the classic role. He added that the Scrooge story is a story that “has fascinated me since I was little.”
After the activation, Depp headed to Hall H, where he helped West with the trailer premiere. The room suddenly went dark and Depp emerged, still dressed as Scrooge, led by candlelight.
“Are you all dead?” he asked the crowd, after spending several minutes silently staring at them with a displeased look on his face.
He also presented the audience with handfuls of candy, which he threw on the floor before commanding them to “eat.” Just as Depp was about to leave the stage, a haunting voice came from the speakers, eerily repeating the name of the man he had irritated.
