''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' (also simply known as ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'') is a 2004 American
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
adventure film
The adventure film is a broad genre of film. Some early genre studies found it no different than the Western film or argued that adventure could encompass all Hollywood genres. Commonality was found among historians Brian Taves and Ian Cameron in ...
directed by
Brad Silberling
Bradley Mitchell Silberling (born September 8, 1963) is an American television and film director whose credits include the feature films '' Casper'' (1995), '' City of Angels'' (1998), '' Moonlight Mile'' (2002), '' Lemony Snicket's A Series of ...
from a screenplay by
Robert Gordon, based on the first three novels of the book series ''
A Series of Unfortunate Events
''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen Children's literature, children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings List of A ...
'': ''
The Bad Beginning'' (1999), ''
The Reptile Room'' (1999), and ''
The Wide Window'' (2000), by
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American author Daniel Handler and a fictional character of his creation. Handler has published various children's books under the name, including ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'', which has sold over 60 millio ...
(the pen name of American author
Daniel Handler
Daniel Handler (born February 28, 1970) is an American author, musician, screenwriter, television writer, and television producer. He is best known for his children's book series ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' and '' All the Wrong Question ...
). It stars
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
,
Liam Aiken,
Emily Browning,
Timothy Spall,
Catherine O'Hara
Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...
,
Billy Connolly,
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian, actor and television host. He hosted BET's '' ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and '' Def Comedy Jam'' ...
,
Luis Guzmán
Luis Guzmán (born August 28, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor. His career spans over 40 years and includes a number of films and television series. He has appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's films ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), ''Magnolia (film), Magn ...
,
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her work in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she wa ...
, and
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
, with
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He began his career in theatre before landing small roles in various British television productions and feature films. Law gained international recognition for his role in An ...
as the voice of Lemony Snicket.
Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies Inc. is an American Filmmaking, film production company based in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California and owned by Paramount Global. Originally founded in 1995, it serves as both the film production division of Nickelodeon Pro ...
purchased the
film rights
Film rights are rights under copyright law to produce a film as a derivative work of a given item of intellectual property. In US law, these rights belong to the holder of the copyright, who may sell (or " option") them to someone in the film indus ...
to Handler's book series in 2000 and soon began development of a film with
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as '' The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family ...
attached to direct. Handler adapted the screenplay and courted Carrey for Count Olaf. Sonnenfeld left over budget concerns in January 2003 and Brad Silberling took over.
Robert Gordon rewrote Handler's script, and
principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
started in November 2003. The film was entirely shot using
sound stage
A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
s and
backlot
A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction.
Uses
Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...
s at
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
and
Downey Studios.
''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' was released theatrically in the United States on December 17, 2004, by
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
with
DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film studio and Film distribution, distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994, as a live-action a ...
distributing the movie internationally. It received positive reviews from critics, with many praising its production values, Newman's score, and the performances (particularly Carrey's), while some criticized its comical tone and short length. The film grossed $211 million worldwide. At the
77th Academy Awards
The 77th Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), took place on February 27, 2005, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. Durin ...
, it won the
Academy Award for Best Makeup (the second to involve Carrey, after
''How the Grinch Stole Christmas'' in 2000) and received nominations for
Best Art Direction,
Best Costume Design, and
Best Original Score.
Plot
Investigator Lemony Snicket documents the whereabouts of the Baudelaire children: 14-year-old
inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
Violet, her 12-year-old
bibliophile
A bookworm or bibliophile is an individual who loves and frequently reads or collects books. Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books.
Bibliophiles may have large, specialized book collections. They may highly value old editions, aut ...
brother Klaus, and their
mordacious infant sister Sunny, after they are orphaned when their parents die in a mysterious fire. Mr. Poe, the family banker, manages their affairs and leaves them in the care of Count Olaf, a nefarious stage actor intent upon obtaining their family fortune, which will remain in the custody of the bank until Violet turns eighteen.
The Baudelaires are treated cruelly by Olaf, who belittles them and forces them to do all his housework. After Olaf legally obtains custody of the children, he attempts to kill them by locking them in his car which he parks on railway tracks. The Baudelaires divert an oncoming
train
A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...
by building a device to remotely activate the railroad switch, after which Mr. Poe sees the children alone in the car and removes them from Olaf's custody, thinking Olaf was allowing them to drive while underage.
The orphans are taken to live with "Uncle Monty", eccentric and kind
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...
Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, who plans on bringing the children with him on an expedition to
Peru
Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...
. When Uncle Monty's new assistant "Stephano" arrives, the Baudelaires immediately see he is Count Olaf in disguise and attempt to warn Uncle Monty, but he instead suspects Stephano is after his latest discovery, The Incredibly Deadly Viper. The morning they are set to leave for Peru, Uncle Monty is found dead, seemingly from being attacked by the viper, though the children are certain that Olaf murdered him. They are almost placed in Stephano's care by Mr. Poe, but Sunny proves his guilt by showing that the snake is harmless, and Stephano escapes.
Mr. Poe takes the children to Lake Lachrymose to live with their Aunt Josephine, a grammar-obsessed widow with
panphobia. Shortly after arriving they encounter Count Olaf again, this time disguised as a sailor called "Captain Sham", whom Aunt Josephine becomes immediately besotted with. The Baudelaires later find Aunt Josephine missing from her house and an apparent suicide note entrusting them to Captain Sham. Noticing grammatical errors in the note, Klaus deduces that Olaf forced her to write it and the mistakes are clues to her real location. The children sail to the cave where Aunt Josephine has hidden herself and convince her to leave with them, but they are attacked by deadly
leeches
Leeches are segmented parasitic or predatory worms that comprise the subclass Hirudinea within the phylum Annelida. They are closely related to the oligochaetes, which include the earthworm, and like them have soft, muscular segmented bod ...
; Olaf sails out to rescue the children, but leaves Aunt Josephine to be eaten.
When Mr. Poe witnesses Count Olaf seemingly rescue the Baudelaires, they are placed back in his care, despite the children's protests. Learning that, as their guardian, he would not be entitled to any of their money, Olaf stages a play titled "The Marvelous Marriage," in which he will have Violet play the bride and sign a real marriage certificate in front of a bona fide justice of the peace, which would give him access to the fortune as a legally wedded spouse. Violet refuses to comply, but agrees when Olaf reveals he has captured Sunny and threatens to harm her if the play is interrupted.
As the play is performed, Klaus goes to rescue Sunny from the hidden tower in Olaf's house, where he discovers a large window with a set of lenses that, positioned correctly, can focus the rays of the sun. Klaus realizes that Olaf used it to set fire to the Baudelaire mansion, then uses the window to burn the marriage certificate after Olaf tauntingly revealed his true intentions to everyone. Olaf is subsequently arrested and made to suffer every hardship that he forced upon the Baudelaires before serving a life sentence; however, his sentence is overturned by a jury of his peers and he subsequently disappears.
Before leaving for
their next home, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny visit the charred remains of their old family home one final time. A lost letter from their parents is finally delivered, inside is a
spyglass announcing their family's secret society, of which Uncle Monty and Aunt Josephine were both members. Snicket concludes his documentation and leaves it in a clock tower for his publisher to find.
Cast
*
Jim Carrey
James Eugene Carrey (; born January 17, 1962) is a Canadian and American actor and comedian. Known primarily for his energetic slapstick performances, he has received two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for BAFTA Awards and ...
as
Count Olaf
The children's novel series '' A Series of Unfortunate Events'' and its film and television adaptations features a large cast of characters created by Daniel Handler under the pen name of Lemony Snicket. The original series follows the turbul ...
, a villainous stage actor and master of disguise who lusts after the Baudelaire family fortune.
**
Stephano, Count Olaf's first disguise who pretends to be Dr. Montgomery's new assistant, he later kills Montgomery and tries to frame The Incredibly Deadly Viper but fails.
**
Captain Sham, a peg leg
sea captain
A sea captain, ship's captain, captain, master, or shipmaster, is a high-grade licensed mariner who holds ultimate command and responsibility of a merchant vessel. The captain is responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the ship, inc ...
and Count Olaf's second disguise. He makes Josephine give the Baudelaires to him and later kills Josephine by making her fall into the lake with leeches.
*
Liam Aiken as
Klaus Baudelaire, an intelligent and kind-hearted
bibliophile
A bookworm or bibliophile is an individual who loves and frequently reads or collects books. Bibliophilia or bibliophilism is the love of books.
Bibliophiles may have large, specialized book collections. They may highly value old editions, aut ...
. He is the middle child of the Baudelaire siblings and uses his encyclopedic knowledge to get them out of trouble.
*
Emily Browning as
Violet Baudelaire, a brilliant inventor. She is the eldest of the Baudelaire siblings and makes inventions out of everyday items.
* Kara and Shelby Hoffman as
Sunny Baudelaire, the youngest Baudelaire sibling. She is an infant with four very sharp teeth. Her dialogue is mostly subtitled as she communicates via unintelligible
babbling
A babbling infant, age 6 months, making ''ba'' and ''ma'' sounds
Babbling is a stage in child development and a state in language acquisition during which an infant appears to be experimenting with uttering articulate sounds, but does not y ...
.
*
Jude Law
David Jude Heyworth Law (born 29 December 1972) is an English actor. He began his career in theatre before landing small roles in various British television productions and feature films. Law gained international recognition for his role in An ...
as the voice of
Lemony Snicket
Lemony Snicket is the pen name of American author Daniel Handler and a fictional character of his creation. Handler has published various children's books under the name, including ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'', which has sold over 60 millio ...
, an introverted writer and the narrator of the story. Background actor James Henderson plays Snicket physically.
*
Timothy Spall as
Arthur Poe, the Baudelaire family banker who informs the Baudelaire children of the fire and manages their affairs in its aftermath.
*
Catherine O'Hara
Catherine Anne O'Hara (born March 4, 1954) is a Canadian and American actress, comedian, and screenwriter. She started her career in sketch comedy, sketch and improvisational comedy in film and television before expanding her career taking dra ...
as Justice Strauss, Count Olaf's kind neighbor and a judge.
*
Billy Connolly as Dr. Montgomery Montgomery, an eccentric but kindly
herpetologist
Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...
and the Baudelaires' uncle and temporary guardian.
*
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
as Josephine Anwhistle, a paranoid,
OCD-stricken grammar
stickler and the Baudelaires' aunt and temporary guardian.
*
Luis Guzmán
Luis Guzmán (born August 28, 1956) is a Puerto Rican actor. His career spans over 40 years and includes a number of films and television series. He has appeared in Paul Thomas Anderson's films ''Boogie Nights'' (1997), ''Magnolia (film), Magn ...
as the Bald-Headed Man, one of Count Olaf's minions.
*
Jamie Harris as the Hook-Handed Man, Count Olaf's main minion.
*
Craig Ferguson
Craig Ferguson (born 17 May 1962) is a Scottish-American actor, comedian, writer and television host. He is best known for having hosted the CBS late-night talk show ''The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson'' (2005–2014). He is the winner of ...
as the Person of Indeterminate Gender, one of Count Olaf's minions.
*
Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress and comedian. Known for her work in the comedy genre, Coolidge is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2023, she wa ...
and
Jane Adams as the White-Faced Women, two of Count Olaf's minions.
*
Cedric the Entertainer
Cedric Antonio Kyles (born April 24, 1964), better known by his stage name Cedric the Entertainer, is an American stand-up comedian, actor and television host. He hosted BET's '' ComicView'' during the 1993–1994 season and '' Def Comedy Jam'' ...
as the
Constable
A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions. ''Constable'' is commonly the rank of an officer within a police service. Other peo ...
, a local detective who is skeptical of Count Olaf.
*
Bob Clendenin
Robert Treman Clendenin (born April 14, 1964) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Dr. Tom Gazelian in ABC comedy series ''Cougar Town'' and Dr. Paul Zeltzer in the comedy series '' Scrubs''.
Education
Clendenin graduated from C ...
as Grocery clerk
*
Lenny Clarke
Lenny Clarke (born September 16, 1953) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his thick Boston accent and as the role of Uncle Teddy on the series '' Rescue Me''.
Early life
Clarke was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts on September ...
as Gruff grocer
* Fred Gallo as Judge Gallo, a judge who grants custody of the Baudelaires to Count Olaf.
*
Deborah Theaker as Mrs. Poe, Mr. Poe's wife
*
Rick Heinrichs
Richard Heinrichs is an American production designer, visual effects, effects artist, art director and film producer. He is well known for his frequent collaborations with director Tim Burton and his work on the Pirates of the Caribbean (film ser ...
and
Amy Brenneman
Amy Frederica Brenneman (born June 22, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She worked extensively in television, coming to prominence as Detective Janice Licalsi in the ABC police drama series ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–1994). Brenneman ...
(both unbilled) as Bertrand and Beatrice Baudelaire, Klaus, Violet and Sunny's deceased parents.
*
Helena Bonham Carter
Helena Bonham Carter (born 26 May 1966) is an English actress. Known for her roles in Blockbuster (entertainment), blockbusters and independent films, particularly period dramas, List of awards and nominations received by Helena Bonham Carter ...
(uncredited) as Beatrice Baudelaire, the Baudelaire children's late mother.
*
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman (born August 8, 1937) is an American actor. As one of the key actors in the formation of New Hollywood, Hoffman is known for Dustin Hoffman filmography, his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and emotionally vulnerable charac ...
(uncredited) as a Critic who attends Count Olaf's ''The Marvelous Marriage''.
*
Jane Lynch
Jane Marie Lynch (born July 14, 1960) is an American actress, comedian, and singer. Known for playing starring and recurring roles in comedic television, her accolades include one Golden Globe, five Primetime Emmys and two Screen Actors Gui ...
(uncredited) as realtor
*
Gilbert Gottfried
Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor, best-known for his exaggerated shrill voice, strong New York dialect, his squint, and his edgy, often-controversial, sense of humor. Hi ...
(uncredited) as the voice of the
Aflac Duck, who appeared in a cameo.
Daniel Handler
Daniel Handler (born February 28, 1970) is an American author, musician, screenwriter, television writer, and television producer. He is best known for his children's book series ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' and '' All the Wrong Question ...
, the writer of the ''Lemony Snicket'' stories, appears as a photographer.
Notes
Handler initially viewed Count Olaf as a
James Mason
James Neville Mason (; 15 May 190927 July 1984) was an English actor. He achieved considerable success in British cinema before becoming a star in Hollywood. He was nominated for three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes (winning once) and two ...
type.
Carrey was not familiar with the book series when he was cast, but he became a fan of the series. "Handler's books are just a bold and original way to tell a children's story," he said. Carrey was also attracted to the role despite
self-parody concerns.
Silberling was open to Carrey's idea of
improvisation
Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...
for various scenes, especially the Stephano and Captain Sham
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I") means an alternate Self (psychology), self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original Personality psychology, personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other ...
s. To make his
prosthetic makeup
Prosthetic makeup also known as special makeup effects or FX prosthesis, is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic special effects, effects. Prosthetics are used on stage and screen ...
more comfortable and easier to apply, Carrey shaved his head bald for the part.
His inspiration for Olaf's voice was combining the voices of
Orson Welles
George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American director, actor, writer, producer, and magician who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is among the greatest and most influential film ...
and
Bela Lugosi
Blaskó Béla Ferenc Dezső (; October 20, 1882 – August 16, 1956), better known by the stage name Bela Lugosi ( ; ), was a Hungarian–American actor. He was best remembered for portraying Count Dracula in the horror film classic Dracula (19 ...
.
Emily Browning was cast as Violet Baudelaire when she auditioned at a casting call in Australia. She was sent Handler's original script when
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as '' The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family ...
was planning to direct, and screen tested for the part using an English accent. Browning became a fan of the books after reading Handler's original script.
The actress was not cast until Silberling took over, then her character's accent was changed to American.
Production
Development
Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies Inc. is an American Filmmaking, film production company based in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California and owned by Paramount Global. Originally founded in 1995, it serves as both the film production division of Nickelodeon Pro ...
purchased the
film rights
Film rights are rights under copyright law to produce a film as a derivative work of a given item of intellectual property. In US law, these rights belong to the holder of the copyright, who may sell (or " option") them to someone in the film indus ...
to the ''
A Series of Unfortunate Events
''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen Children's literature, children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings List of A ...
'' novel series in May 2000.
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...
, owner of Nickelodeon Movies, agreed to co-finance, along with
Scott Rudin. Various directors, including
Terry Gilliam
Terrence Vance Gilliam ( ; born 22 November 1940) is an American-British filmmaker, comedian, collage film, collage animator, and actor. He gained stardom as a member of the Monty Python comedy troupe alongside John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Pa ...
and
Roman Polanski
Raymond Roman Thierry Polański (; born 18 August 1933) is a Polish and French filmmaker and actor. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Roman Polanski, numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, three Britis ...
, were interested in making the film. One of Daniel Handler's favorite candidates was
Guy Maddin
Guy Maddin (born February 28, 1956) is a Canadian screenwriter, director, author, cinematographer, film editor and installation artist. He is known for his fascination with lost Silent film, Silent-era films and for incorporating their aestheti ...
.
In June 2002, it was announced that
Barry Sonnenfeld
Barry Sonnenfeld (born April 1, 1953) is an American filmmaker and television director. He originally worked as a cinematographer for the Coen brothers before directing films such as '' The Addams Family'' (1991) and its sequel '' Addams Family ...
was hired to direct. He was chosen because he previously collaborated with Rudin and because of his
black comedy
Black comedy, also known as black humor, bleak comedy, dark comedy, dark humor, gallows humor or morbid humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally ...
directing style from ''
The Addams Family
The Addams Family is a fictional family created by American cartoonist Charles Addams. They originally appeared in a series of 150 standalone single-panel comics, about half of which were originally published in ''The New Yorker'' between 193 ...
'', ''
Addams Family Values'' and ''
Get Shorty
''Get Shorty'' is a 1990 novel by American novelist Elmore Leonard. In 1995, the novel was adapted into an eponymous film, and in 2017 it was adapted into a television series of the same name.
Plot summary
The story is about Ernesto "Chili ...
''.
Sonnenfeld referred to the ''Lemony Snicket'' novels as his favorite children's stories.
The director hired Handler to write the script
[ with the intention of making ''Lemony Snicket'' a musical,][ and cast Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in September 2002.]
The film suffered setbacks in development in December 2002. Rudin left ''Unfortunate Events'' over budget concerns. While Sonnenfeld and Carrey remained, Sonnenfeld admitted he was skeptical of Paramount's $100 million budget. Paramount decided that changing the shoot from Hollywood to Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...
, would be less expensive. The April 2003 start date was also pushed back. Paramount eventually settled the situation in January 2003 by enlisting help from DreamWorks Pictures
DreamWorks Pictures (also known as DreamWorks SKG and commonly referred to as DreamWorks) is an American film studio and Film distribution, distribution label of Amblin Partners. It was originally founded on October 12, 1994, as a live-action a ...
to co-finance the film, but Sonnenfeld vacated the director's position. Rudin and Sonnenfeld had no involvement with the film afterward, but were credited as executive producer
Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the production of media. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights or royalties). In film ...
s. Carrey remained with approval over the hiring of the next director.
Brad Silberling
Bradley Mitchell Silberling (born September 8, 1963) is an American television and film director whose credits include the feature films '' Casper'' (1995), '' City of Angels'' (1998), '' Moonlight Mile'' (2002), '' Lemony Snicket's A Series of ...
signed on to direct in February 2003. He was not familiar with the series when he was first approached. He quickly read the first three novels and was excited that "Hollywood was taking a chance to put over $100 million to adapt these inventive children's books onto screen". Handler, who wrote eight drafts of the script for Sonnenfeld, was replaced by Robert Gordon in May 2003. Handler approved of the changes that were made to his screenplay. "I was offered credit on the film for screenwriting by the Writers Guild of America
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is the name of two American labor unions representing writers in film, television, radio, and online media:
* The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) is headquartered in New York City and is affiliated wit ...
", Handler continued, "but I didn't take it because I didn't write it. I felt like it would be an insult to the guy who did."
Filming
Filming was set to begin in October 2003, but was pushed back. Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
commenced on November 10, 2003, using the sound stage
A sound stage (also written soundstage) is a large, soundproof structure, building or room with large doors and high ceilings, used for the production of theatrical film-making and television productions, usually located on a secured movie or te ...
s and backlot
A backlot is an area behind or adjoining a movie studio containing permanent exterior buildings for outdoor scenes in filmmaking or television productions, or space for temporary set construction.
Uses
Some movie studios build a wide variety of ...
at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Silberling avoided using too many digital or chroma key
Chroma key compositing, or chroma keying, is a Visual effects, visual-effects and post-production technique for compositing (layering) two or more images or video streams together based on colour hues (colorfulness, chroma range). The techniq ...
effects because he wanted the younger actors to feel as if they were working in a realistic environment. Olaf's mansion occupied two sound stages, while the graveyard and the ruins of the Baudelaire mansion were constructed on the Paramount back lot. After 21 weeks of shooting at Paramount,[ production then moved to Downey Studios, a former ]NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...
facility in Downey, California
Downey is a city located in Southeast Los Angeles County, California, United States, southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. It is considered part of the Gateway Cities. The city is the birthplace of the Apollo space program and Taco Bell. It is ...
, for eight more weeks. Downey housed the circular railroad crossing set complete with forced perspective scenery, as well as a newly constructed water tank complete with over one million gallons of water. The water tank was instrumental in filming scenes set at Briny Beach, Lake Lachrymose, Damocles Dock and Curdled Cave.[ Filming for ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' wrapped on May 29, 2004.
]
Design
Silberling, production designer Rick Heinrichs
Richard Heinrichs is an American production designer, visual effects, effects artist, art director and film producer. He is well known for his frequent collaborations with director Tim Burton and his work on the Pirates of the Caribbean (film ser ...
and costume designer Colleen Atwood
Colleen Atwood (born September 25, 1948) is an American costume designer. In a career spanning over four decades, she is recognized for her prolific work across film and television. She has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awa ...
all aimed for the film's setting to be ambiguous, giving it a "timeless" feel. Heinrichs also added steampunk
Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and Applied arts, aesthetics inspired by, but not limited to, 19th-century Industrial Revolution, industrial steam engine, steam-powered machinery. Steampun ...
designs to the period.[''A Woeful World'', 2005, Paramount DVD] To contribute to the setting, Silberling hired Emmanuel Lubezki as the cinematographer because he was impressed with the trio's work on '' Sleepy Hollow''.
Lubezki compared the cinematic similarities to ''Sleepy Hollow'', notably the monochromatic
A monochrome or monochromatic image, object or palette is composed of one color (or values of one color). Images using only shades of grey are called grayscale (typically digital) or black-and-white (typically analog). In physics, mon ...
look of both films. He also chose a specific color palette backdrop for ''A Series of Unfortunate Events''. "The story is very episodic, so we picked a different color scheme for each section. For example, Count Olaf's house has a lot of greens, blacks and grays; the house of Uncle Monty has a lot of greens and browns and a bit of yellow; and the house of Aunt Josephine has blues and blacks." The railroad crossing set was constructed on a cyclorama, which was the most ambitious set piece for the art department on using elements of "in house" special effects and matte paintings.[
]
Visual effects
Industrial Light & Magic
Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American Film, motion picture visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion digital studio founded by George Lucas on May 26, 1975. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lu ...
(ILM), supervised by Stefen Fangmeier, created the film's 505 visual effects shots.[ The filmmakers used as few digital effects as possible,] though the train and smoke for the railroad crossing scene were created entirely by computer animation. ILM also used color grading
Color grading is a post-production process common to filmmaking and video editing of altering the appearance of an image for presentation in different environments on different devices. Various attributes of an image such as contrast (vision), ...
techniques for the Lake Lachrymose scene, which required complete animation for the leeches. The digital animators studied footage of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season to accurately depict Hurricane Herman, which was ILM's most ambitious use of computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is a specific-technology or application of computer graphics for creating or improving images in Digital art, art, Publishing, printed media, Training simulation, simulators, videos and video games. These images ...
(CGI) for the film. Nexus Productions designed the opening "Littlest Elf" animated sequence by modeling it after stop-motion
Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animation, animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appe ...
animation and completing it with computer animation. The snakes at Monty's house were a combination of real snakes and animatronics
An animatronic is a puppet controlled electronically to move in a fluent way. Animatronics are the modern adaptation of the automaton and are often used for the portrayal of characters in films, video games and in theme park attractions.
Anim ...
. The animatronics, primarily the Incredibly Deadly Viper, were used as reference models that ILM later enhanced using CGI.[ Because working with infants was sometimes risky in producing a film, four scenes involving Sunny Baudelaire required CGI with ]motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mocap or mo-cap, for short) is the process of recording high-resolution motion (physics), movement of objects or people into a computer system. It is used in Military science, military, entertainment, sports ...
technology. Among these are the shot of Sunny hanging on to a table by her teeth, catching a spindle with her mouth and the scene where she is entangled with the Incredibly Deadly Viper. Animation supervisor Colin Brady used his baby daughter for motion capture
Motion capture (sometimes referred as mocap or mo-cap, for short) is the process of recording high-resolution motion (physics), movement of objects or people into a computer system. It is used in Military science, military, entertainment, sports ...
recording. Kevin Yagher designed a remote-controlled animatronic of Sunny.
Release
Marketing
In October 2002, Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies Inc. is an American Filmmaking, film production company based in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California and owned by Paramount Global. Originally founded in 1995, it serves as both the film production division of Nickelodeon Pro ...
hired Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
(which actually had a partnership with DreamWorks) to create the film's tie-in
A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, website, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original proper ...
video game. The agreement also included options for sequels. Silberling delivered his first cut of the film to the studio in August 2004. Fearing his original version was "too dark", Paramount and DreamWorks conducted test screening
A test screening, or test audience, is a preview screening of a film or television series before its general release to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected from a cross-section of the population and are usually asked to complet ...
s. The film was then reedited over family-friendliness concerns. Given its December release, the film's marketing campaign was criticized as a deliberately anti-holiday comedy with tagline
In entertainment, a tagline (alternatively spelled tag line) is a short text which serves to clarify a thought for, or is designed with a form of, dramatic effect. Many tagline slogans are reiterated phrases associated with an individual, so ...
s like "Taking the cheer out of Christmas" and "Mishaps. Misadventures. Mayhem. Oh Joy." The premiere of'' Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' was held at the Cinerama Dome
The Cinerama Dome is a movie theater located at 6360 Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. Designed to exhibit widescreen Cinerama films, it opened November 7, 1963. The original developer was William R. Forman, founder of Pacific Theatr ...
on December 13, 2004. A tent display on Vine Street
Vine Street is a street in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, that runs north–south between Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, and Melrose Avenue. The intersection of Hollywood and Vine being symbolic of Hollywood itself. The intersection has be ...
was decorated with pieces from the film's sets.
Home media
''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' was released on DVD and VHS on April 26, 2005. A Portuguese-labeled All-Region Blu-ray was released in 2012 and then an American Region A Blu-ray was released on September 9, 2014. The film was re-released on DVD on January 24, 2017.
Reception
Box office
''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' grossed $118.6 million in the United States and Canada and $92.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $211.5 million, against a budget of $140 million.
The film was released in the United States and Canada on December 17, 2004, on 4,400 screens at 3,620 theaters, earning $30.1 million in its opening weekend and finishing first at the box office. In its second weekend the film fell to second behind ''Meet the Fockers
''Meet the Fockers'' (sometimes known as ''Meet the Parents 2'') is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Jay Roach, and the sequel to the 2000 film, '' Meet the Parents''. The film stars Robert De Niro (also one of the film's producer ...
'', grossing $12.6 million. It was the highest-grossing film under the Nickelodeon Movies
Nickelodeon Movies Inc. is an American Filmmaking, film production company based in Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California and owned by Paramount Global. Originally founded in 1995, it serves as both the film production division of Nickelodeon Pro ...
banner until '' The Last Airbender'' surpassed it.
Critical response
On Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film received an approval rating of 72% based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Although it softens the nasty edges of its source material, ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a gothic visual treat, and it features a hilariously manic turn from Jim Carrey as the evil Count Olaf." On Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, the film has a score of 62 out of 100, based on 37 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore
CinemaScore is an American market research firm based in Las Vegas. It surveys film audiences to rate their viewing experiences with letter grades, reports the results, and forecasts box office receipts from the data.
Background
Ed Mintz, who ...
gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.
Robert K. Elder of the ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' praised Rick Heinrichs
Richard Heinrichs is an American production designer, visual effects, effects artist, art director and film producer. He is well known for his frequent collaborations with director Tim Burton and his work on the Pirates of the Caribbean (film ser ...
's production design and Carrey's balanced performance as a scene stealer, calling the film "exceptionally clever, hilariously gloomy and bitingly subversive." Desson Thomson of ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' reasoned over a fellow film-goer's characterization of Count Olaf, "Olaf is a humorless villain in the book. He's not amusing like Carrey at all. To which I would counter: If you can't let Carrey be Carrey, put someone boring and less expensive in the role. In his various disguises he's rubbery, inventive and improvisationally inspired. I particularly liked his passing imitation of a dinosaur." Ty Burr, in ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'', observed, "Director Brad Silberling has essentially made a Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
movie without the weird shafts of adolescent pain. At the same time, Silberling's not a hack like Chris Columbus, and ''Snicket'' has more zip and inspired filmcraft than the first two ''Harry Potter'' films. The film's no masterpiece, but at least you're in the hands of people who know what they're doing. The movie, like the books, flatters children's innate sense that the world is ''not'' a perfect place and that anyone who insists otherwise is trying to sell you something. How you deal with the cognitive dissonance
In the field of psychology, cognitive dissonance is described as a mental phenomenon in which people unknowingly hold fundamentally conflicting cognitions. Being confronted by situations that challenge this dissonance may ultimately result in some ...
of a $125 million Hollywood picture telling you this is up to you. At least there are no Lemony Snicket Happy Meal
A Happy Meal is a kids' meal usually sold at the American fast food Chain store#Restaurant chain, restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard b ...
s. Yet."
Internet reviewer James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli (born September 25, 1967) is an American film critic. His reviews are mainly published on his blog ''ReelViews.'' Approved as a critic by the aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, he has published two collections of reviews of movies on ...
felt that "the film is first and foremost a fantasy, but there are dark currents running just beneath the surface. I give Silberling credit for not allowing them to swallow the film. ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' manages to remain witty throughout." Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
gave a mixed review: "Jim Carrey is over the top as Count Olaf, but I suppose a character named Count Olaf is over the top by definition. I liked the film, but I'll tell you what. I think this one is a tune-up for the series, a trial run in which they figure out what works and what needs to be tweaked. The original ''Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a superhero in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appearance, first appeared in the anthology comic book ''Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in ...
'' was a disappointment, but the same team came back and made ''Spider-Man 2
''Spider-Man 2'' is a 2004 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of Spider-Man. Directed by Sam Raimi and written by Alvin Sargent from a story conceived by Michael Chabon and the writing team of Alfred Gough and Miles ...
'', the best superhero movie ever made." Scott Foundas of '' Variety'' gave a negative review, criticizing the filmmakers for sacrificing the story line in favor of visual elements such as set design and cinematography. He wrote, "''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' suggests what ''Mary Poppins Mary Poppins may refer to:
* Mary Poppins (character), a nanny with magical powers
* Mary Poppins (franchise), based on the fictional nanny
** Mary Poppins (book series), ''Mary Poppins'' (book series), the original 1934–1988 children's fanta ...
'' might have looked like had Tim Burton directed it. Not surprisingly, Burton's longtime production designer Rick Heinrichs was responsible for the sets, while ace Emmanuel Lubezki (Burton's '' Sleepy Hollow'') contributed the expressionistic lighting schemes."
Awards and nominations
Possible franchise and reboot
Possible film series
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies hoped that the film would become a series like the ''Harry Potter'' film series. Carrey thought his character would be good as the basis for a film franchise since each installment would feature new disguises for Count Olaf allowing him to dive into a new role each time, though he said he didn't "have a deal" for a sequel. In May 2005, producer Laurie MacDonald said "''Lemony Snicket'' is still something Paramount is interested in pursuing and we're going to be talking with them more."
In October 2008, Handler said that "a sequel does seem to be in the works. Paramount has had quite a few corporate shakeups, which has led to many a delay. Of course, many, many plans in Hollywood come to naught, but I'm assured that another film will be made. Someday. Perhaps." In June 2009, Silberling confirmed he still talked about the project with Handler, and suggested the sequel be a stop motion
Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
film, with each film in a new medium, due to the young lead actors having grown too old to continue their roles, saying, "In an odd way, the best thing you could do is actually have Lemony Snicket say to the audience, 'Okay, we pawned the first film off as a mere dramatization with actors. Now, I'm afraid I'm going to have to show you the real thing.'"
Television series
In November 2014, Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
announced its plans for a television adaptation of the entire novel series. The series stars Neil Patrick Harris
Neil Patrick Harris (born June 15, 1973) is an American actor, singer, writer, producer, and television host. Primarily known for his comedic television roles and dramatic and musical stage roles, he has received List of awards and nominations ...
, Malina Weissman, Louis Hynes and Presley Smith, with Patrick Warburton
Patrick Warburton (born November 14, 1964) is an American actor. His live action TV roles include David Puddy on ''Seinfeld'', the Tick (character), title character on ''The Tick (2001 TV series), The Tick'', Jeb Denton on ''Less than Perfect'' ...
as Lemony Snicket. The series, also titled ''A Series of Unfortunate Events
''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' is a series of thirteen Children's literature, children's novels written by American author Daniel Handler under the pen name Lemony Snicket. The books follow the turbulent lives of orphaned siblings List of A ...
'', premiered on January 13, 2017. The first season consisted of eight episodes, and adapts the first four books of the series. ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'' season two was released on March 30, 2018, and contains 10 episodes, adapting books five through nine of the novel series. The third and final season was released on January 1, 2019, and adapts the four remaining books in seven episodes.
Video game
A video game
A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
based on the film was released in 2004 by Activision
Activision Publishing, Inc. is an American video game publisher based in Santa Monica, California. It serves as the publishing business for its parent company, Activision Blizzard, and consists of several subsidiary studios. Activision is one o ...
for the PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
, GameCube
The is a PowerPC-based home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, in Europe on May 3, 2002, and in Australia on May 17, 2002. It is the suc ...
, Xbox
Xbox is a video gaming brand that consists of four main home video game console lines, as well as application software, applications (games), the streaming media, streaming service Xbox Cloud Gaming, and online services such as the Xbox networ ...
, Game Boy Advance
The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
, and Microsoft Windows
Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
. The player plays as all three orphans at points in the game.
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events
2004 black comedy films
2004 children's films
2004 films
2000s American films
2000s English-language films
A Series of Unfortunate Events
American black comedy films
American children's comedy films
American children's fantasy films
American films with live action and animation
Children's comedy-drama films
DreamWorks Pictures films
Films about adoption
Films about arson
Films about babies
Films about bibliophilia
Films about orphans
Films about siblings
Films based on American novels
Films based on children's books
Films based on multiple works of a series
Films directed by Brad Silberling
Films produced by Walter F. Parkes
Films scored by Thomas Newman
Films shot in California
Films shot in Massachusetts
Films shot in North Carolina
Films set on lakes
Films that won the Academy Award for Best Makeup
Films using motion capture
Films using stop-motion animation
Films with screenplays by Robert Gordon
Nickelodeon Movies films
Paramount Pictures films
Steampunk films
English-language black comedy films
Teen Choice Award winning films