Netflix Is Making ‘A Series Of Unfortunate Events’ Into An Original Series
"A series of very fortunate events, indeed"
Because the streaming goliath did not have enough good press already, Netflix today
announced that it would be turning cult favorite
A Series of Unfortunate Events into a Netflix Original Series.
“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. We are proud to start work on a series for a global audience that already loves the books,” Netflix’s vice president of original content Cindy Holland said. “The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny, and relatable. We can’t wait to bring it to life for Netflix members.”
The original Jim Carrey-starring film debuted nearly ten years ago (December 17th, 2004) and met with a
pretty positive reception. Which, unfortunately, did not result in that big of a box office. A sequel was never made, although rumblings of an animated continuation of the franchise began a few years ago.
The story tells the tale of a trio of siblings, the Baudelaires, who have to make their way through a macabre world filled with horrible adults and the very tangled web the death of their parents leaves behind. The books were some of my favorite as a kid, and the film's daring shuffling of the episodic account of the first three novels in the saga absolutely won me over.
Though new casting is obviously called for (Emily Browning
isn't exactly child-ish anymore), that episodic feel of the film could easily translate boldly into a binge-worthy Netflix series. Though that does bring up the question of structure. Here's to hoping it's more one-hour dramedy than half-hour comedy.
Oh, and Netflix, if you are looking for failed film adaptations of novel franchises to rise from the ashes... there's a certain
Golden Compass that I think may give you big high-fantasy rep you seem to be looking for. Just saying.
No release date for
A Series of Unfortunate Events has been announced yet. Though it's easily a couple of years off, what with those four Marvel shows still slated for release over the next few years.
