'Descendants' will get earlier bow

Fox Searchlight has increased the discharge of "The Descendants" from November. 23 to November. 18. Alexander Payne directed the George Clooney-toplined pic, that also stars Judy Greer and Shailene Woodley. Date change allows the film to prevent the crowded Thanksgiving frame, which to date includes "The Muppets," "Piranha 3DD," "Arthur Christmas" and "A Harmful Method." Searchlight bought the privileges to Kaui Hart Hemmings' dark-humored debut novel for Jim Burke, Payne and Jim Taylor to create through their Ad Hominem banner in 2007. Nat Faxon, Jim Rash and Payne composed the script. Story involves an indifferent husband and father of two women who's instructed to confront his past when his wife suffers a boating accident from Waikiki Beach, and that he then needs to decide whether or not to sell his family's land, passed down from Hawaiian royalty. Pic lately tested at Telluride and it is slated to shut the brand new You are able to Film Fest on March. 16. Contact Rachel Abrams at Rachel.Abrams@variety.com