‘Severance’s Tramell Tillman and Ian McKellen Join Johnny Depp In ‘Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol’
EXCLUSIVE: Ian McKellen and Tramell Tillman are set to join Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, Paramount and Ti West’s new take on the classic Charles Dickens novel with Johnny Depp starring in the titular role. West is directing. Andrea Riseborough has also signed on, with the studio dating the film for November 13, 2026. Nathaniel Halpern penned the script with Emma Watts producing.
The classic Charles Dickens story has seen its fair share of retellings over the years with its tale of an elderly miser visited by the ghost of his former business partner and the spirits of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet to Come. This also marks the second Christmas Carol pic announced this year after Warner Bros. also put in development an adaptation from Robert Eggers with Willem Dafoe in line to play Scrooge.
This version, a thrilling ghost story set in Dickens’ London, follows one man’s supernatural journey to face his past, present and future and fight for a second chance. While not confirmed, sources say Tillman will play the Ghost of Christmas Present. It is unknown who McKellen will play.
Stephen Deuters and Jason Forman are also executive producers.
Tillman is coming off his critically-acclaimed performance in the most recent season of Apple’s hit show Severance. His work won him an Emmy award for best supporting actor at this year’s Emmys. He is currently in production on Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, alongside Tom Holland. He recently wrapped production on the Amazon/MGM film Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother and Lena Dunham’s Netflix film Good Sex. This spring, Tillman starred opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, which had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
For McKellen, the Oscar-nominated actor is no stranger to high-profile IP starring in such hit franchises as X-Men and Lord of the Rings.
McKellen is repped by Independent Talent Group and CAA and Tillman is repped by UTA, Principal Entertainment LA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman Wertheimer.
