Sci Fi Wire

9:00am ET, 12-December-02

Rudin Exits Lemony

Scott Rudin has resigned as producer of Paramount/Nickelodeon's proposed film version of Lemony Snicket's a Series of Unfortunate Events, Daniel Handler's best-selling fantasy book series, Variety reported. Rudin set up the project to be directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and to star Jim Carrey. Handler wrote the script, the trade paper reported. Rudin left in a disagreement over budgets and fees.

The abrupt departure is a blow to Paramount's effort to develop the movie, seen as Paramount's answer to Warner Brothers' Harry Potter series, the trade paper reported. But Nickelodeon vice president Julia Pistor told Variety that Carrey and Sonnenfeld remain in the fold.

The book series revolves around a trio of young orphans who are fobbed off on a series of unusual relatives.