Here's a preview of what's opening in theaters this weekend, including the sequel "Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows," starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law; the third animated installment "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"; and the IMAX opening of the action-packed "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"!
In Theaters Now (December)
'Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows' (Dec. 16)
Who: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Noomi Rapace, Jared Harris; directed by Guy RitchieWhat: They're baaaack! Famed mystery solver Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Dr. Watson join forces to outwit and bring down their fiercest adversary, Professor Moriarty.
'Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol' (Dec. 16)
Who: Tom Cruise, Jeremy Renner, Simon Pegg, Paula Patton, Tom Wilkinson, Ving Rhames; directed by Brad BirdWhat: The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.The film is opening in IMAX theaters Friday and going wide December 21!
'Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked' (Dec. 16)
Who: Anna Faris, Justin Long, Jason Lee, David Cross, Alyssa Milano, Christina Applegate; directed by Mike MitchellWhat: Playing around while aboard a cruise ship, the Chipmunks and Chipettes accidentally go overboard and end up marooned in a tropical paradise. But then they discover their new turf is not as deserted as it seems.
Who: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly, Christoph Waltz; directed by Roman PolanskiWhat: This dark comedy tells the story of two sets of parents who decide to have a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a schoolyard brawl.
'New Year's Eve' (Dec. 9)
Who: Who isn't in this film?What: This all-star ensemble -- including Ashton Kutcher, Jessica Biel, Lea Michele, Michelle Pfeiffer, Katherine Heigl, Halle Berry and others -- tells the various, interconnecting stories of New Yorkers celebrating New Year's Eve.
Who: Jonah Hill, Ari Graynor and Sam Rockwell; directed by David Gordon GreenWhat: In a twisted version of the '80s comedy "Adventures in Babysitting," a college student (Hill) on suspension is coaxed into babysitting the kids next door, though he is fully unprepared for the wild night ahead of him.
'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' (Dec. 9)
Who: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones; directed by Tomas AlfredsonWhat: In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley (Oldman) is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.
Who: Abbie Cornish, James D'Arcy, Andrea Riseborough; directed by MadonnaWhat: A two-tiered romantic drama focusing on the affair between King Edward VIII and American divorcée Wallis Simpson and a contemporary romance between a married woman and a Russian security guard.
'We Need to Talk about Kevin' (Dec. 9)
Who: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly, Ezra Miller; directed by Lynne RamsayWhat: A mother deals with her feelings of dread towards her teenage son and his menacing behavior.
Who: Charlize Theron, Patton Oswalt, Patrick Wilson, Elizabeth Reaser; directed by Jason Reitman; written by Diablo CodyWhat: Soon after her divorce, a fiction writer returns to her home in small-town Minnesota, looking to rekindle a romance with her ex-boyfriend, who is now married with kids.
Who: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan; directed by Steve McQueenWhat: In New York City, Brandon's carefully cultivated private life -- which allows him to indulge his sexual addiction -- is disrupted when his sister Cissy arrives unannounced for an indefinite stay.
