Original: The film stars Jim Carrey as Count Olaf , a mysterious theater troupe actor who attempts to steal the inheritance of the three wealthy Baudelaire orphans played by Emily Browning , Liam Aiken , and Kara and Shelby Hoffman .
Simplified: Lemony Snickets A Series of Unfortunate Events is a 2004 film from Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon movies , starring Jim Carrey as Count Olaf .