Netflix has acquired rights to produce an original series based on best-selling book franchise “A Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket.
The series will be a Netflix production in association with Paramount Television. Paramount was the studio behind 2004 movie “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” (pictured, above), starring Jim Carrey. The streaming service didn’t say when it expects the series to debut.
The “Lemony Snicket” books are penned by Daniel Handler, who is “often mistaken” for the books’ author.
“On the search for fantastic material that appeals to both parents and kids, the first stop for generations of readers is ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events,'” said Cindy Holland, VP of original content for Netflix. “The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny, and relatable. We can’t wait to bring it to life for Netflix members.”
“I can’t believe it,” Mr. Snicket, at an undisclosed location, said in a statement supplied by Netflix. “After years of providing top-quality entertainment on demand, Netflix is risking its reputation and its success by associating itself with my dismaying and upsetting books.”
In “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” three orphaned kids — Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire — face trials and tribulations at the hands of the evil Count Olaf, as they seek to discover the secret of their parents’ death. The books have sold more than 65 million copies worldwide.
The latest Snicket book is “Shouldn’t You Be in School?,” the third volume of “All The Wrong Questions,” which tells the story of Snicket’s own childhood. Handler’s next novel for adults is “We Are Pirates,” slated to be published in February 2015. Handler is scheduled to host the National Book Awards in New York on Nov. 19.
Handler is represented by ICM Partners and Charlotte Sheedy. ICM Partners brokered the deal for rights to produce the series.
