Netflix Lemony Snicket Series Signs Barry Sonnenfeld

Netflix’s “Lemony Snicket” now has two high profile names attached.

Barry Sonnenfeld (“Men In Black”) has signed on to direct the Netflix series and Mark Hudis (“True Blood”) has signed on as executive producer of the series. Barry Sonnenfeld will also serve as a co-executive producer of the series but Mark Hudis is said to be the showrunner.

For those that don’t know about the series, the story is based around three orphans that encounter the evil Count Olaf in search of their family inheritance. Lemony Snicket’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events” does have a darker tone but is said to also appeal to children as well. The film starring Jim Carrey had this balance when it was released in 2004 but based on what we’ve seen thus far for this series, this could be a bit darker.

As previously stated, Barry Sonnenfeld is primarily known for “Men In Black” but he’s done quite a few films that walk the line between family values and darker tones. “The Addams Family” films are an example of a film series that Sonnenfeld directed that families could watch together even though the tone was quite morbid throughout those films.

Mark Hudis is more fresh than Sonnenfeld but has made his name with the “True Blood” series. That HBO series had a much darker, adult tone than Netflix is hoping to convey with the Lemony Snicket series but Hudis’ inclusion should push the series to the edge.

The mix of Hudis and Sonnenfeld could be very effective for the series to flourish. Sonnenfeld can provide the dark family tone while Hudis can keep things on track to capture adult appeal.

There is currently no timetable for when the series is set to release on Netflix. There is also no word on casting and production dates.

How do you feel about Barry Sonnenfeld being behind the Lemony Snicket series?

This was first reported by Variety