‘Ebenezer’ Leads Box Office With $19 Million, ‘How to Rob a Bank’ Gets Busted With $5 Million

Paramount's "Ebenezer," starring Johnny Depp in his first major Hollywood role since 2018, opened to a $19 million domestic box office weekend, with a $42 million worldwide total. The film, based on "A Christmas Carol" and directed by Ti West, has thus far attracted a largely fanbase of Depp enthusiasts, with 50% of surveyed viewers citing the actor as their primary reason for attending.

Despite mixed reviews from critics, the movie has received a favorable reception from audiences, boasting an A- CinemaScore, 4.5/5 PostTrak rating, and a 90% Rotten Tomatoes audience approval. With the holiday season expected to be fiercely competitive, featuring other films like "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three," it remains to be seen whether "Ebenezer" can sustain its initial momentum and expand its appeal beyond its core fanbase throughout the remaining six weeks of its run.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Amazon MGM's "How to Rob a Bank," a $60 million crime action comedy directed by David Leitch and starring Nicholas Hoult, experienced a disappointing opening weekend with just $5.1 million, grossing $5.1 million from 2,810 theaters. The film has received primarily negative reviews and moderate positive audience reception, earning a B- CinemaScore and Rotten Tomatoes scores of 34% and 78%, respectively.

With a limited release outside the top five slots and its primary audience likely to gravitate towards films like "Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping" or stay at home to play "Grand Theft Auto VI," "How to Rob a Bank" appears poised to falter quickly down the box office rankings.