Johnny Depp is ready to face the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future in a new take on Charles Dickens’ tale of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, and so too is Nosferatu director Robert Eggers, who’s planning a completely separate adaptation of Dickens’ supernatural morality story.
While these competing A Christmas Carol projects make their way into production, HBO Max confirms that the classic 1938 version will premiere on the streamer on November 1, 2025.
This 87-year-old take on A Christmas Carol stars Reginald Owen as Scrooge, the heartless cheapskate who gets a lesson in being kind from a succession of ghostly visitors. MGM first released the movie in time for Christmas 1938, then brought it back over the years in a series of revivals.
Television syndication made A Christmas Carol 1938 into a holiday staple before it later settled into its natural home on Turner Classic Movies. The Edwin L. Marin-directed film sits at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, on just 13 reviews.
Many other adaptations of Dickens’ story have been made over the years. Notable examples include the 1970 musical Scrooge starring Albert Finney and Alec Guinness, the 1992 family movie The Muppet Christmas Carol, and the 2009 performance-capture animated film A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey.
Bill Murray played an evil TV executive named Frank Cross in 1988’s Scrooged, a darkly comedic modern-day retelling of the story that has itself gone on to become a holiday-season favorite.
ScreenRant’s 2023 ranking of A Christmas Carol movies placed the Muppets’ take at #1, with the 1938 version placing #2.
Pirates of the Caribbean star Depp is reportedly involved in a new Christmas Carol project from horror director Ti West, and it’s presumed that Depp will be playing Scrooge in what is being touted as a “thrilling ghost story.” Oscar nominee Andrea Riseborough is set to co-star.
One new take on Dickens’ timeless tale isn’t enough for Hollywood, however, as Nosferatu director Eggers is reportedly developing his own adaptation, with his frequent collaborator Willem Dafoe being eyed to play Scrooge.
If both Depp and Dafoe do play Scrooge, they will join an illustrious list of actors who have previously tackled the role. In addition to the aforementioned Owen, Finney and Carrey, that list includes George C. Scott, Patrick Stewart, Guy Pearce, Michael Caine, Kelsey Grammer and, in a rare gender-swapped take, Cicely Tyson.
The 1985 Canadian TV movie Buckaneezer Scrooge ranks as one of the more offbeat takes on Dickens’ story, along with such similarly oddball fare as Blackadder’s Christmas Carol starring Rowan Atkinson, Epic Rap Battles of History’s episode “Donald Trump v. Ebenezer Scrooge,” and 2022’s internet-meme-inspired A Christmas Karen
Thanks to these and many other adaptations in various media, Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and its timeless message continue to resonate.
- Release Date
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December 16, 1938
- Runtime
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69 Minutes
- Director
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Edwin L. Marin
- Writers
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Charles Dickens
