Box Office: Johnny Depp’s ‘Ebenezer’ Leads With $6.7 Million on Opening Day, ‘How to Rob a Bank’ Struggling With $2.2 Million on Friday

Johnny Depp returns to the box office with Paramount's "Ebenezer," opening to a modest $6.7 million from 3,535 locations, on track for an estimated $20 million weekend and $40 million worldwide. The "Pirates of the Caribbean" star has pursued independent and foreign films since his legal disputes with Amber Heard. Directed by Ti West, "Ebenezer" is based on Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol."

Depp's fanbase drove ticket sales, with 50% crediting him as the reason for purchasing a ticket. Critics gave the film mixed reviews, while audiences scored it an A- on CinemaScore and 4.5/5 on PostTrak. The challenge now is converting that fan excitement into wider audience appeal amidst competition like "Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" and "Hexed."

Despite being a Christmas film, "Ebenezer" must navigate a busy holiday season packed with releases such as "Avengers: Doomsday," "Dune: Part Three," "Jumanji: Open World," and Sony's "Ghost Soldier." Warner Bros. "The Cat in the Hat" holds a $10 million second weekend, lagging 50% from its opening. The biggest flop is Amazon MGM's "How to Rob a Bank," which opened with $2.2 million, likely to have a short theatrical run.

"Godzilla Minus Zero" continues to perform well, with a $7.5 million second weekend and a projected $48 million 10-day total, exceeding its 2023 predecessor's U.S. run. Sony's "Ramayana: Rise of a Legend" is also holding strong, earning $5.5 million in its second weekend and expected to surpass $24 million by the end of a 10-day run.