Netflix is looking to give Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, the proper treatment that perhaps the film, released in 2004 wasn’t able to do, because it could only tell part of the many stories involving the Baudelaire orphans. And I think a TV series could actually be the right platform for these stories.
But, despite the kids actually been the main characters in the book, its count Olaf that is the real plot driver here. And after Jim Carrey did a remarkable job of playing the character in the film, there was also going to be pressure for whoever stepped into these character shoes. Something which Neil Patrick Harris doesn’t mind handling as he decided to portray this wild and boisterous character in the series.
But will he be any good? Well, we can now get a first glimpse at answering that question as this teaser trailer introduces us to his character:
And to be honest, I don’t really like what I see in this brief glimpse of the role. I’m sure there is more to his performance than this, but with the brief glimpse that we get of his portrayal, it appears a little too forced. Almost as if Harris is trying a little too hard to be like Carrey.
In fact, everything appears to match the overall look and feel of the film, which was itself a good representation of Lemony Snicket’s book. Even the brief score in the trailer is eerily similar to that of the film. The production design and cinematography are of high quality as in keeping with Netflix standards. A Series of Unfortunate Events is due to premiere on January 13th on Netflix.
The official synopsis of the series is below:
Based on the internationally best-selling series of books by Lemony Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) and starring Emmy and Tony Award winner Neil Patrick Harris, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events recounts the tragic tale of the Baudelaire orphans — Violet, Klaus, and Sunny – whose evil guardian Count Olaf (Harris) will stop at nothing to get his hands on their inheritance. The siblings must outsmart Olaf at every turn, foiling his many devious plans and disguises, in order to discover clues to their parents’ mysterious death. The eight-episode series is a Netflix original production, executive produced by Emmy Award winner Barry Sonnenfeld and Daniel Handler, and also stars Patrick Warburton (Lemony Snicket), Joan Cusack (Justice Strauss), Malina Weissman (Violet Baudelaire) and Louis Hynes (Klaus Baudelaire).
Last Updated: November 4, 2016
