Netflix's A Series Of Unfortunate Events to be directed by Men In Black's Barry Sonnenfeld

Since Netflix announced that it was developing a series based on Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events way back in November, nothing has been heard about who would be starring in it, which direction it would take or who would be helming it. Even the trailer that emerged mysteriously a few months ago turned out to be fan-made.

However, now it has been revealed that American film-maker Barry Sonnenfeld has officially signed on to direct the forthcoming original show. He will be joined by True Blood writer and producer Mark Hudis who is also coming aboard the project.

The 62-year-old already is already familiar with the source material, having penned an unused screenplay alongside Snicket – whose real name is Daniel Handler – for the 2004 film starring Jim Carrey. He was meant to lead the picture but left the project in the end due to arguments with Paramount Pictures over the budget. Casper's Brad Silberling subsequently replaced him in the job.

On top of his history with the story, Sonnenfeld's filmography, which features all three Men In Black films as well as both Addams Family movies, demonstrates that he can handle weird, wacky and slightly creepy content that's aimed primarily at teenagers. However, that's not to say that Unfortunate Events doesn't appeal to adults too, with its dark humour and often macabre plotlines.

With such a wide demographic to reach, Netflix seems keen to create the show, which will please fans that previously thought the project had been put on the backburner. "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," Netflix's Cindy Holland said back in 2014. "The world created by Lemony Snicket is unique, darkly funny, and relatable. We can't wait to bring it to life for Netflix members."

However, Snicket himself remains theatrically pessimistic about the whole thing. "I can't believe it," he told Empire from an unknown location. "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."