Read up: 'Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events' hits Netflix in January

'A Series of Unfortunate Events'
The cast of the Netflix adaptation of "A Series of Unfortunate Events."
Joe Lederer | Netflix

The many, many, many misfortunes of the Baudelaire children will soon be on Netflix.

The media company released a full-length trailer for its adaptation of "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" last week, giving fans a taste of what's to come. The children are plucky, the color scheme is Tim Burton-esque and Neil Patrick Harris is reveling in the devilish Count Olaf character.

The show is based on the bestselling 13-book children's series, which relates the many bizarre woes of the Baudelaire orphans: Violet, Klaus and Sunny.

After their parents' mysterious deaths, they are sent to live with Olaf, who is determined to steal the fortune they're destined to inherit. The children spend book after book escaping his grasp, and he leaves a trail of murder, arson and other crimes in his wake as he hunts them down.

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On its face, it doesn't sound like a place for whimsy, but author Daniel Handler has heavily dosed the books with humor and elaborate plots of secret societies and hidden identities.

How it will all translate to the screen remains to be seen. In 2004, Nickelodeon Movies made a feature film covering the first three books, starring Jim Carrey as the sinister Count Olaf. It performed well at the box office, but a sequel never materialized and the child actors outgrew their roles.

Netflix's crack at translating "Lemony Snicket" will be released all at once on its streaming service on Jan. 13, 2017.

That gives you plenty of time to read the books first.