Johnny Depp has said he "owes" his fans following his return to the public eye.
The 63-year-old actor assumes the title role in Ebenezer, director Ti West's new cinematic interpretation of Charles Dickens' classic novella A Christmas Carol, coming eight years after the beginning of his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard.
Back in 2022, a jury ultimately found Heard liable on all three counts of defamation over a 2018 Washington Post article, whereas Depp was found liable for one count in Heard's countersuit, with the former couple eventually reaching a settlement in December of that year.
When asked about the crowd support at the London premiere of Ebenezer on Monday evening, he remarked: "There’s no way for me to explain how I feel.
"And it’s deep. These are the people who’ve supported me through thick and thin and I owe them, I owe them. They’re my bosses."
Ebenezer marks Depp's first feature film with a major US distributor since Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, representing his return to major studio cinema following his legal fight with Heard.
Depp also reflected on taking on Ebenezer Scrooge, admitting that Alastair Sim's 1951 performance remains the definitive screen portrayal.
He added: "I’ve seen the perfect Ebenezer Scrooge in Alastair Sim from the film from way long ago.
"So, I know that you cannot be better, but you can find a different angle inward toward the character. That’s just what I tried to do."
At a screening in New York City earlier this month, Depp joked about how he and Orlando Bloom would struggle growing facial hair if they were to return for another Pirates of the Caribbean film.
He told People magazine: "Well, I think we should have a... contest of who can grow the fastest non-beard.
"'Cause neither of us can grow a beard, I don't think. I can't for sure, but maybe he can. I don't know."
Depp previously claimed Disney dropped him from the movie franchise, in which he played Captain Jack Sparrow, and vowed never to return.
However, he recently suggested he might consider a comeback on one condition.
He told Entertainment Tonight: "If things are exactly where they need to be with regard to how they are going to top off the Pirates thing.
"The only involvement I really want to have, truly, is just to send them off on a better note."
Depp would also rejoin the franchise for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film or another project if Oscar-nominated producer Jerry Bruckheimer, 83, is involved.
He said: "I’ll go to work with Bruckheimer tomorrow for anything. Doesn’t matter… if it’s Jerry, I trust him. We have deep friendship."
In August, Bruckheimer revealed Depp was in talks for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film, with franchise veteran Ted Elliott involved with the current script.
Speaking at D23, Bruckheimer told Deadline: "We're talking with Johnny [Depp], we’re working on a screenplay, and hopefully we can get this done."
Bloom, 49, who played Will Turner in the original trilogy, recently discussed the chances of them reuniting for a sixth Pirates of the Caribbean movie.
He told Entertainment Weekly: "I do connect with [Depp] every now and again, because he’s amazing.
"But I think, it’s like, that was so fun and it was such a zeitgeist-y thing. I mean, I don’t know how they do it or when they do it, but I
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