Ebenezer Scrooge has joined Venmo, giving people a chance to ask literature’s most famous miser for Christmas cash without venturing into his office.
The promotion for Ebenezer, starring Johnny Depp as Charles Dickens’ penny-pinching businessman, invites users to send payment requests to a dedicated account. Whether Scrooge will actually help cover anyone’s expenses is another matter.
Ebenezer Scrooge is now on @venmo. Think he’s feeling generous? 💰 Send a request: https://t.co/HQHfSLTY59 https://t.co/2sxvU7rwEG
— Ebenezer (@ebenezermovie) October 22, 2026
Judging by the accompanying advertisement, anyone hoping for a substantial contribution should keep their expectations low.
Scrooge Brings His Miserly Ways to Venmo
In an October 22 post on the film’s official X account, the campaign announced Scrooge’s arrival on the payment platform and challenged users to test his generosity.
The accompanying 29-second video demonstrates how that exchange might unfold. Someone requests $500 for student loans, only to receive a payment of $0.01.
“Generosity has its limits,” reads the accompanying message.
Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge – Paramount Pictures, YouTube
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The video then transitions into footage from the film and an announcement of its November 13 theatrical release. Scrooge may be reluctant to part with his money, but he apparently has fewer reservations about asking people to spend theirs at the box office.
Of course, the advertised penny payment does not guarantee that real requests will receive the same response, much less the amount requested.
Fans can try their luck through the promotional Venmo account, though one of Scrooge’s famous lines might temper their expectations: “I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry.”
At least Venmo has no button for referring users to the workhouse.
The app also offers a modern convenience that Scrooge would surely appreciate: he can dismiss pleas for financial assistance without enduring a face-to-face conversation.
Johnny Depp Takes on A Christmas Carol
The promotion puts a modern spin on a character whose relationship with money drives one of the best-known Christmas stories.
In Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooge’s obsession with wealth comes at the expense of compassion, companionship, and his responsibilities toward others. His encounters with the spirits of Christmas force him to confront what that life has cost him.
A payment request translates his reputation into a joke audiences can immediately understand, inviting fans to put his stinginess to the test themselves.
Ghost of Christmas Future – Paramount Pictures, YouTube
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Depp plays Scrooge in the upcoming adaptation from director Ti West, whose credits include X, Pearl, and MaXXXine. Nathaniel Halpern wrote the screenplay, according to the film’s official website.
West’s background in horror could serve him well with a story whose Christmas warmth emerges from ghostly visitations, painful memories, and a terrifying glimpse of death.
The cast also includes Rupert Grint, Andrea Riseborough, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Tramell Tillman, and Ian McKellen. Paramount lists the film’s theatrical release for November 13, 2026.
Still Waiting on Scrooge’s Generosity
The Venmo stunt gives audiences a chance to participate in the promotion before buying a ticket. Its appeal is straightforward: people are asking for generosity from someone famous for refusing it.
Johnny Depp as Ebenezer Scrooge – Paramount Pictures, YouTube
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At the time of writing, this author’s request remains pending after several hours. Bah, humbug!
Scrooge’s eventual transformation may be the heart of the Christmas classic, but anyone requesting help with student loans might prefer to catch him after the ghosts have finished their work.
Did you request money from Ebenezer Scrooge? Did you get anything? Sound off and let us know!
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