A few weeks ago, I exclusively reported that Ti West was supposed to direct “Scrooge,” with a shoot eyed in Ireland and England. There was no word whether it was an actual Ebenezer Scrooge movie, but the title alone suggested just that. Paramount is backing the project.
Now here’s Deadline confirming that not only is West directing another iteration of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ but none other than Johnny Depp is set to star in the film. Production is supposed to begin early next year. The film has been dated for November 13, 2026 theatrical release.
How odd that Robert Eggers also has his own iteration of ‘A Christmas Carol’ currently in development over at Warner Bros; that one is supposed to star Willem Dafoe.
The script for West’s adaptation was written by Nathaniel Halpern, best known for his work on “Legion” and for creating and writing “Tales from the Loop.” West previously directed an episode of “Tales from the Loop,” and has since worked with Halpern on a few projects currently in development.
For Depp, this is a big deal, and the most high-profile project he’s embarked on since the Amber Heard allegations. He also has an indie, “Day Drinker,” co-starring Penelope Cruz, coming out next year. However, ‘Christmas Carol’ will be the first time he’s worked with a major studio since 2018’s “Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.”
Back in May 2024, West was teasing a possible idea that he had for a fourth film in the “X” series. This was coming off “MaXXXine,” starring Mia Goth, which wound up getting a lukewarm response from critics and audiences. A few months later, during an AMA, Ti West put the kibosh on his original plan to expand the trilogy, confirming that “MaXXXine” was indeed the last film and that he is “done” with the franchise.
If anything, “Pearl,” with a career-best Mia Goth performance, showed that West could deliver something stylish, atmospheric, terrifying, and original. It played like a technicolor nightmare. That’s why the more conventional “MaXXXine” felt like such a letdown. West is clearly capable of more, and lately I’ve been hearing whispers that he’s been chasing financing for a passion project titled “Scream Queen,” which is why “A Christmas Carol” feels like an odd fitting for him, unless he’s decided to radically turn it into a genre/horror movie.
If anything, West, 43, is better off going back to originals. “The House of the Devil” and “In a Valley of Violence” showed just how much range he has outside the franchise and IP cycle.
Is “The Exorcist” truly the greatest horror film ever made, or has time crowned a new champion of fear? Maybe it’s “The Shining,” ‘Texas Chainsaw,’ “Psycho,” or something entirely unexpected that still keeps you up at night.