Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events

The story: In the first movie adaptation of Daniel Handler's wildly popular books, the orphaned Baudelaire siblings must band together to protect their inheritance from the malevolent Count Olaf (Carrey). The incredibly busy Jude Law—Events is his sixth movie this year—plays the famously unphotographed Snicket (see "The Ignominious interview"), who narrates the proceedings.

The prospects: Carrey is perfectly cast, and Handler co-wrote the script–but a troubled production history makes this a tough call.

Who's it for? Carrey fans, devotees of the Snicket books, and anyone with a taste for the imaginative.—Andrew Johnston