Johnny Depp turns Instagram into Ebenezer billboard for Christmas Carol film
Johnny Depp wiped his Instagram posts for Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, teasing the Paramount film ahead of its Nov. 13 theater release.
By Poppy Nakagawa · Culture Writer
2 min read
Johnny Depp’s Ebenezer Instagram makeover has arrived with three stark words for nearly 30 million followers: “BAH HUM BUG.” The actor’s account now promotes Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol, his upcoming Paramount Pictures film based on Charles Dickens’ holiday classic.
As of July 23, Depp’s previous Instagram posts were gone, his profile picture had changed, and his feed had been reduced to three branded tiles. Taken together, the images spell out the famous Scrooge phrase, while the captions read in sequence: “This November...” “Prepare to be...” and “Humbugged.”
His bio has also been swapped for a line tied to the character he is playing: “Before he was Scrooge, he was Ebenezer.” Depp is playing Ebenezer Scrooge in the film, which Paramount Pictures is set to release in theaters on Nov. 13.
Why did Johnny Depp delete his Instagram posts?
Depp’s Instagram reset appears to be a promotional move for Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. By clearing the account and leaving only three coordinated posts, the page now works like a three-panel ad for the movie.
The move drew notice because Depp is not a heavy Instagram poster, and fans observed that he had not changed his profile picture in years. Social media users quickly linked the wipe to the new film campaign.
Celebrity account wipes have become a familiar launch signal for music, film, and television projects. Taylor Swift cleared her accounts in 2017 before rolling out snake imagery for Reputation, while Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa, Madonna, Normani, and Olivia Rodrigo have also used similar resets before promoting new work.
Actors have used the tactic as well. Blake Lively wiped her Instagram during the campaign for the 2018 thriller A Simple Favor and changed her bio to “What happened to Emily?”
What is Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol about?
Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol is a new version of Dickens’ story, presented as a supernatural ghost tale. The familiar plot follows Scrooge, a miserly businessman whose encounters with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come force him to face his past and seek another chance.
The film is directed by Ti West, the filmmaker behind X, Pearl, and MaXXXine. Nathaniel Halpern wrote the screenplay, Emma Watts is producing, and West is also among the executive producers.
Depp leads the cast as Scrooge. The ensemble also includes Andrea Riseborough, Ian McKellen, Severance actor Tramell Tillman, Rupert Grint, Daisy Ridley, and Sam Claflin.
The Instagram campaign is more direct than some mystery-style account wipes, but the message is clear enough: Depp’s page has been turned into a holiday-season signpost for Paramount’s November release.
This story draws on original reporting from Mashable.