Johnny Depp fights for his Hollywood life

Johnny Depp reportedly has one last chance to prove himself and revive his Hollywood career.

The Pirates of Caribbean star is said to be being watched closely as he returns to big screens with Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol. This film will mark Depp's first project since reputational damage following legal battle with ex-wife Amber Heard.

The film, also starring Ian McKellen and Daisy Ridley, shows Depp in a role that plays to his gift for "transformation – voices, physicality, and vanishing into layers of makeup in a way audiences have always responded to."

The source stated, "But it also requires relentless focus and consistency. He has to show up prepared and steady for months on end, with no room for erratic behavior."

Ebenezer is being considered as a controlled experiment for Johnny Depp. "If he proves he can be reliable, focused, and controlled, there is a route back for him to blockbusters and big money projects," the insider noted.

Adding that if he doesn't prove himself, it will only "reinforce the long-standing questions about whether he can be trusted on a major production. This really is the stuff of last chance saloon for him."

Sources warned that the stakes are "unusually high" this time. "There is genuine goodwill toward him, but it comes with skepticism."

"Everyone is watching closely, and this feels like the last real test. If he slips up, the industry will simply look elsewhere. He is also going to have to be totally sober for this to work," the insider said.

It is pertinent to mention that if Johnny Depp secures another high-profile project afterward, it would signal his return. Otherwise, "it will be taken as proof that the attempted comeback has run its course."