First/New Look: ‘The Vow,’ ‘Friends With Kids’ & ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’

A few first looks and a new picture of the unfortunately titled “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” have arrived thanks to Entertainment Weekly and Empire (neither need to appear online, thanks for the scans, people).

First off, let’s start with our first look at the romance picture, “The Vow” starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. Is there any way bigger way to annoy The Playlist staff then to show off a picture of Channing frickin’ Tatum making out with our collective bride-to-be? Directed by Michael Sucsy (HBO‘s “Great Gardens“), the picture is about a woman (McAdams) who suffers a traumatic brain injury in a car accident and wakes up to find her memories from the last five years have been erased. Now she has no idea who her husband is (Tatum). So great, it’s “Regarding Henry” all over again. “It’s a romantic story about a guy who has to win back his soul mate,” the director told EW. Hey, “The Notebook” fans, this one sounds like it was tailor-made for you. Meanwhile, someone get us McAdams’ agent on the phone so we can fire him already.

Bigger images from each film below.

Then we have images from actress/writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt‘s “Friends With Kids.” She’s the writing brainchild behind “Kissing Jessica Stein,” which launched her career and “Friends With Kids” is her directorial debut. Of course it stars her real-life partner of fourteen years Jon Hamm, plus quite the cast: Megan Fox, Adam Scott (pictured), Kristen Wiig, Chris O’Dowd, Maya Rudolph and Edward Burns. In the picture, Westfeldt plays a single woman who decides to have a baby with her platonic friend (Scott), and Hamm plays a dad whose relationship (with Wiig) is collapsing. It sounds like Scott and the director are very much the leads with everyone else in supporting roles. “I don’t think anyone’s seen him in the leading man role,” she said of Scott, clearly never having seen his standout turn in the 2009 indie, “The Vicious Kind.” “He’s hitting every shade,” she told EW of his performance. “Dramatic, comedic and everything in between.” We can’t argue with her, Scott is eclectic and is likely going to be a be a big star eventually, when people realize his serious chops and charisma.

Lastly, there’s the aforementioned shot of “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” which features Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law and Law’s wife-to-be in the film Kelly Reilly. “It’s not going to be broader,” Downey Jr. warned Empire about the sequel and its tone. “That’s the usual thing they do. They say, ‘Hey, we were funny in that last movie.’ And then they go out and make some fucking ‘Lethal Weapon 9‘ garbage. It’s got a mixture of things that a lot of films can’t get away with… it’s a big-budget period film, which are never made these days… there’s real serious menace to it… and we’re taking it further — these two guys can’t live with each other and can’t live without each other.”

“Game Of Shadows” hits theaters December 16, “Friends With Kids” has not yet been dated and “The Vow” arrives (naturally) on February 10, 2010, just four days before Valentine’s Day.