Fox Searchlight has changed the release date of its Alexander Payne-directed The Descendants. The comedic drama starring George Clooney and Judy Greer was slated for limited release Dec. 16, 2011 but has been moved up to Nov. 23. That gets the pic away from Warner Bros’ new Sherlock Holmes movie but also the Weinstein Co’s Meryl Streep-starrer The Iron Lady, which could be seeking the same audience. Now Descendants‘ toughest direct competition on the new date might be another Weinstein pic, the Cannes hit The Artist. On Wednesday, Paramount moved Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol from Dec. 16 to Dec. 21.

Also, CBS Films has shifted the date on The Woman in Black from Jan. 20, 2012 to Feb. 3, 2012. The thriller stars Daniel Radcliffe as a lawyer who travels to a remote village and discovers the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.