Two legendary actors have come together to breathe life into the haunting retelling of Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. The unlikely pairing of Ian McKellen and Johnny Depp has fans all hyped to witness the gothic masterpiece. As filming wrapped up, McKellen revealed that he “fell in love with” the Alice in Wonderland star on the set of the classic Charles Dickens tale.
Ian McKellen says Johnny Depp is ‘in spankingly good form’
Ian McKellen is all praises for Johnny Depp, declaring him to be in superb form during their work on Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. The veteran actor’s words reflected Depp’s captivating personality, which had the cast and crew enthralled.
“He’s in spankingly good form,” McKellen told Variety on Wednesday evening at the New York premiere of The Christophers. “Effervescent, funny, irreverent, serious — all at the same time. It was a bit of a love fest, really. I fell in love with him. He’s very obliging to his fellow actors. [There was] a wonderful feeling on the set,” he continued.
“It was only six days, but it was well worth it. I play a ghost!” McKellen enthusiastically added.
John Depp takes on the iconic role of Ebenezer Scrooge in the upcoming remake, marking his first major Hollywood project in nearly eight years. His last appearance was in 2018’s Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. He left the franchise after losing a libel case against The Sun over domestic abuse allegations by his ex-wife, Amber Heard. The 2022 U.S. trial concluded that both Depp and Heard had defamed each other.
Ti West’s dark take on Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol boasts an all-star cast. The lineup includes Rupert Grint as Bob Cratchit, Andrea Riseborough as the Ghost of Christmas Past, Tramell Tillman as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and Ian McKellen as Jacob Marley.
Ian McKellen is currently promoting Steven Soderbergh’s The Christophers, in which he stars alongside Michaela Coel and James Corden. The dark comedy film releases in theatres on April 10, 2026.