Spoilers for Ebenezer are ahead! You can catch the project on the 2026 movie schedule in theaters now.
Johnny Depp’s transformation into Ebenezer is chilling (it even terrified Sam Claflin, who plays Ebenezer’s nephew, Fred), and him throwing out his signature “bah humbug” is intimidating. At the start of Ti West’s take on A Christmas Carol, it’s hard to imagine the grouchy character being capable of saying “Merry Christmas.” So, when he actually does say it at the end of the movie, it makes a big impact. With that in mind, I asked Claflin, who was on the receiving end of the jolly statement, what it meant to hear those words said by Ebenezer Scrooge.
At the end of Ebenezer, after the titular character has been visited by the ghosts and realized his wrongs, he works to redeem himself. He gives Bob Cratchit a much-deserved promotion, he gives a beggar his pocket watch, and he finally goes to see his nephew Fred to apologize and say Merry Christmas. When Claflin was speaking with director Ti West about playing Fred in this book-to-screen adaptation, he didn’t fully get the importance of his character; however, he told me that he quickly realized not only the significance of Fred, but the significance of this moment. He explained:
Well, in all honesty, when I was first talking to Ti about the script, and he sort of said ‘I was thinking of you to play the part Fred,’ I was like, ‘Who's Fred?’ For some reason, that role, that character, had never really resonated with me, or I'd never really taken notice of it. But especially the way that Ti wanted to kind of really focus on that within this version of the story, he really kind of felt like it added so much depth and gave the film even more heart.
Throughout Ebenezer, all Fred wants is for Ebenezer to be happy and to maintain one relationship that ties them both back to Fred’s mom and Ebenezer’s sister. He wants his uncle to be part of the family, and he keeps going back to him over and over again to invite him into his home for the holidays.
Claflin said he “really understood Fred’s objective” and why he was so adamant about keeping Depp’s character in his life. He also explained the lessons we can learn from this relationship, and the way it ends with Ebenezer saying “Merry Christmas.” Telling me why his character’s journey and mission to keep the titular character in his life is so important, the Catching Fire actor explained:
I think it's important to kind of not give up hope on the people that feel like they've lost. You know, it'd be so easy to give up and to move on. But I think the fact that he is just so determined and so true and almost desperate with his love – but it pays to be kind, and it pays to be generous, and it pays to be thoughtful and understanding and loving, and you know, Fred is a great example of how the world should be, really.
I totally agree. Fred’s motivations are so pure and rooted in deep familial love. His way of looking at the world is something worth striving for, and his inability to give up on his family is admirable. Clearly, it works in a way, too, because Ebenezer does come back to him. He does accept the love Fred so desperately wants to give, and they’re able to be a family. That all makes the “Merry Christmas” mean more, as Claflin told me:
Yeah, it was an honor to hear those words uttered from Ebenezer's mouth.
While Ebenezer has gotten mixed reviews, I enjoyed it. And I particularly loved the ending, and seeing Ebenezer realize why life’s worth living. Seeing him bring love back into his life, and feeling that lovely holiday spirit, brought me joy, and clearly it brought Fred and Sam Claflin joy too.
Now, if you’d like to see Ebenezer, you can catch this new take on A Christmas Carol in theaters now.
