Paramount Pictures is doing the release date shuffle with Mission: Impossible IV, which was previously scheduled for a May 27th, 2011 release. Now, Paramount has moved the release of Mission: Impossible IV to December 16, 2011 so that Ethan Hunt can go toe-to-paw with 20th Century Fox‘s Alvin and the Chipmunks 3D which hits theaters on the same day.

Tom Cruise will return for the fourth installment and Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Up) is reportedly close to jumping into the director’s chair.