WEEK IN PREVIEW

MOVIES

Pierce Brosnan returns as James Bond in “Tomorrow Never Dies,” the 18th installment in the Agent 007 series, this one an adventure dealing with media power as a lethal weapon. The film, co-starring Hong Kong action film favorite Michelle Yeoh, right, opens Friday in general release.

MOVIES

Nathan Lane and Lee Evans star in “MouseHunt,” a comedy about two down-on-their luck brothers who are thrilled to discover that the dilapidated mansion they’ve just inherited is an architectural masterpiece, albeit one inhabited by a tenacious mouse. The film opens Friday in general release.

MUSIC

The redoubtable Andre Watts returns to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Wednesday, after rescheduling his Dec. 1 appearance to recuperate from pneumonia. The veteran pianist, 51, has long been identified with the music of Schubert, and his latest program offers a Watts specialty, the “Wanderer” Fantasy.

HOLIDAY

It’s the opening weekend of the 14th annual Los Angeles Classical Ballet “Nutcracker,” with Andrei Ivanov of the Kirov Ballet guesting as the Nutcracker Prince and new special effects: Clara flies on wires on her way to Sugar Plum Fairy Land. It’s at the Long Beach Terrace Theater today through Dec. 24.

HOLIDAY

Our home-grown but world-class chorales celebrate the season this week, with the L.A. Master Chorale, above, presenting a Hanukkah/Christmas gala tonight at the Music Center, the Pacific Chorale performing on Tuesday and the William Hall Master Chorale on Wednesday, both in Costa Mesa.

POP MUSIC

Portishead’s reluctant star, Beth Gibbons, has taken her place alongside Sinead O’Connor and Bjork as one of pop’s premier female singers. Gibbons and partners in the acclaimed British trip-hop group, including leader Geoff Barrow, will be in concert Thursday at the Hollywood Palladium.

JAZZ

Since his emergence in 1956, Jimmy Smith has virtually defined the sound of the organ.

His conception has so dominated the field that most other organists could be mistaken for close relatives. He checks in at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood for five nights of bop, blues and swing starting Wednesday.

VIDEO

Jodie Foster plays another independent, strong-willed woman to perfection in Robert Zemeckis’ summer hit “Contact.” Foster is a scientist dedicated to searching for signs of intelligent life in the universe. Matthew McConaughey co-stars in the sci-fi epic, which touches down Tuesday in video stores.

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Next Sunday: Calendar looks back on the year in entertainment and the arts, with Chris Rock, Princess Di, the Getty, “Ellen” and others guiding the way.