December Movie Releases

Opening December 7

The Golden Compass

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Thriller

Cast: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliott, Eva Green, Dakota Blue Richards, Ian McKellen, Ian McShane, Freddy Highmore, Kathy Bates, Tom Courtenay, Ben Walker, Adam Godley, Simon McBurney, Nonso Anozie, Jim Carter, Clare Higgins, Jack Shepherd, Magda Szubanski

Story: Based on author Philip Pullman’s bestselling and award-winning novel, “The Golden Compass” tells the first story in Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy. “The Golden Compass” is an exciting fantasy adventure, set in an alternative world where people’s souls manifest themselves as animals, talking bears fight wars, and Gyptians and witches co-exist.

Director: Chris Weitz

Studio: New Line Cinema

Web site: Not Available

December 12

The Perfect Holiday

Genre: Comedy, Family, Romance

MPAA Rating: PG (for brief language and some suggestive humor)

Cast: Gabrielle Union, Morris Chestnut, Queen Latifah, Terrence Howard, Malik Hammond, Charlie Murphy, Faizon Love, Jeremy Gumbs, Jill Marie Jones, Rachel True

Story: An African American take on the classic and beloved Christmas family film, “The Perfect Holiday” tells the story of Nancy, a divorced mother of three who is so busy raising her children that she’s forgotten to take care of herself as well. With Christmas fast approaching, she decides to take her kids to the mall to meet Santa Claus, not knowing that her youngest daughter Emily has sensed her mother’s sadness and is determined to use her time with Santa to make her mom happy again.

Director: Lance Rivera

Studio: Yari Film Group

Web site: ThePerfectHolidaymovie.com

December 14

Alvin and the Chipmunks

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family

MPAA Rating: PG (for some mild rude humor)

Cast: Jason Lee, Cameron Richardson, Jane Lynch

Story: Jason Lee (“My Name Is Earl”) will star as David Seville in the CG/live-action hybrid film, based on the 1950s cartoon series about chipmunks Alvin, Simon and Theodore, who lay waste to Seville’s surroundings and sing in three-part harmony.

Director: Tim Hill

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Web site: AlvinandtheChipmunksmovie.com

The Kite Runner

Genre: Drama

MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for strong thematic material including the rape of a child, violence and brief strong language)

Cast: Wali Razaqi, Saïd Taghmaoui, Shaun Toub, Nasser Memarzia

Story: An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from the final days of Afghanistan’s monarchy to the atrocities of the Taliban reign. This unforgettable story of redemption is based on the best selling phenomena “The Kite Runner.”

Director: Marc Foster

Studio: Paramount Vantage

Web site: KiteRunnermovie.com

December 21

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

Genre: Action, Adventure

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Jon Voight, Harvey Keitel, Ed Harris, Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, Bruce Greenwood, Helen Mirren

Story: When a missing page from the diary of John Wilkes Booth surfaces, Ben’s great-great grandfather is suddenly implicated as a key conspirator in Abraham Lincoln’s death. Determined to prove his ancestor’s innocence, Ben follows an international chain of clues that takes him on a chase from Paris to London and ultimately back to America. This journey leads Ben and his crew not only to surprising revelations – but to the trail of the world’s most treasured secrets.

Director: Jon Turteltaub

Studio: Walt Disney Pictures

Web site: NationalTreasure.com

P.S. I Love You

Genre: Drama, Romance

Cast: Hilary Swank, Gerard Butler, Gina Gershon, Lisa Kudrow, Harry Connick, Jr., Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Kathy Bates, James Marsters

Story: Holly Kennedy is beautiful, smart, and married to the love of her life-a passionate, funny and impetuous Irishman named Gerry. So when Gerry’s life is taken by an illness, it takes the life out of Holly. The only one who can help her is the person who is no longer there. Nobody knows Holly better than Gerry. So it’s a good thing he planned ahead. Before he died, Gerry wrote Holly a series of letters that will guide her, not only through her grief but in rediscovering herself.

Director: Richard LaGravenese

Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures

Web site: PSILoveYoumovie.com

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Genre: Musical, Thriller

MPAA Rating: R (for graphic bloody violence)

Cast: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Timothy Spall, Jamie Campbell Bower, Jayne Wisener, Sacha Baron Cohen

Story: Johnny Depp and Tim Burton join forces again in a big-screen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning musical thriller “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” Depp stars in the title role as a man unjustly sent to prison who vows revenge, not only for that cruel punishment, but for the devastating consequences of what happened to his wife and daughter. When he returns to reopen his barber shop, Sweeney Todd becomes the Demon Barber of Fleet Street who “shaved the heads of gentlemen who never thereafter were heard from again.”

Director: Tim Burton

Studio: Paramount Pictures

Web site: SweeneyToddmovie.com

Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Genre: Comedy

Cast: John C. Reilly, Jenna Fischer, Tim Meadows, Kristen Wiig

Story: America loves Cox! But behind the music is the up-and-down-and-up-again story of a musician whose songs would change a nation. On his rock ‘n roll spiral, Cox sleeps with 411 women, marries three times, has 22 kids and 14 stepkids, stars in his own 70s TV show, collects friends ranging from Elvis to the Beatles to a chimp, and gets addicted to — and then kicks — every drug known to man… but despite it all, Cox grows into a national icon and eventually earns the love of a good woman — longtime backup singer Darlene (Jenna Fischer).

Director: Jake Kasdan

Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)

Web site: Sony.com/WalkHard

December 25

Aliens vs. Predator – Requiem

Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

MPAA Rating: R (for violence, gore and language)

Cast: Reiko Aylesworth, Steven Pasquale, John Ortiz, Shareeka Epps, Johnny Lewis, Sam Trammell, David Paetkau

Story: In this follow-up to the worldwide hit “Alien vs. Predator,” the iconic monsters from two of the scariest film franchises ever, wage war in an American Midwestern town – with the residents caught in the middle.

Director: Greg Strause, Colin Strause

Studio: 20th Century Fox

Web site: AVP-R.com

Charlie Wilson’s War

Genre: Drama

Cast: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Ned Beatty

Story: “Charlie Wilson’s War” is the true story of how a playboy congressman, a renegade CIA agent and a beautiful Houston socialite joined forces to lead the largest and most successful covert operation in history. Their efforts contributed to the fall of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, with consequences that reverberate throughout the world today. Oscar(r) winners Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman team with Academy Award(r)-winning director Mike Nichols and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin to bring George Crile’s best-selling book to the screen.

Director: Mike Nichols

Studio: Universal Pictures

Web site: CharlieWilsonsWar.net

The Great Debaters

Genre: Drama

Cast: Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker, Kimberly Elise, Nate Parker

Story: Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and inspired by a true story, “The Great Debaters” chronicles the journey of a brilliant but volatile coach (Denzel Washington) who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small, modest black college in East Texas into an elite debate team while challenging the social mores of the time, culminating with a groundbreaking invitation to debate Harvard’s championship team.

Director: Denzel Washington

Studio: The Weinstein Company

Web site: TheGreatDebatersmovie.com

The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Cast: Emily Watson, Alex Etel, Ben Chaplin, David Morrissey, Brian Cox

Story: The Academy Award(r)-winning producer and special-effects team behind “The Lord of the Rings” join with Revolution Studios, Walden Media (“The Chronicles of Narnia”) and Beacon Pictures to bring to the screen the magical motion picture “The Water Horse: Legend of the Deep.” The story begins when Angus, a young Scottish boy, finds an enchanted egg. Taking it home, he soon finds himself face-to-face with an amazing creature: the mythical “water horse” of Scottish lore. Angus begins a journey of discovery, facing his greatest fears and risking his life to protect a secret that would give birth to a legend.

Director: Jay Russell

Studio: Columbia Pictures (Sony)

Web site: TheWaterHorse.com