Get your first look at Neil Patrick Harris as the villainous Count Olaf in the upcoming Netflix series 'A Series of Unfortunate Events' with the brand new trailer released ahead of the series premiere next year. Plus, meet the characters who play the Baudelaire orphans and the clueless banker Mr. Poe.

Neil Patrick Harris in 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'Neil Patrick Harris stars as Count Olaf in 'A Series of Unfortunate Events'

This Netflix Original Series is adapted from the popular Lemony Snicket (real name Daniel Handler) book series of the same name, with the 8-episode first season focusing on the first three books of the series; 'The Bad Beginning', 'The Reptile Room' and 'The Wide Window'.

The trailer shows Malina Weissman as the recently orphaned inventor Violet Baudelaire, Louis Hynes as her bookworm brother Klaus Baudelaire, an unnamed actress as baby sister Sunny and K. Todd Freeman as bank manager Mr. Poe all arriving at the spooky and dilapidated home of the nefarious Count Olaf played by Neil Patrick Harris. 

For those unfamiliar with the 13-part book series, it follows the lives of three intelligent but unlucky orphans as they move from place to place to live with various distant relatives in a bid to escape their wicked distant relative Count Olaf, who is ultimately responsible for the dark things happening in their lives and wants to get his hands on their fortune.

In the initial trailer released a month ago, we met Mr. Snicket, played by Patrick Warburton, who warned us: 'Don't make the same mistake that Netflix has and look away before this dire tale is even filmed and avoid the cruel whimsy and whimsical cruelty of what's to come.'

In 2004, a film was released starring Jim Carey as Count Olaf, and saw the orphans lose the peace and safety of life with their reptile-loving Uncle Monty, and then that of their timid Aunt Josephine as Mr. Poe tries to settle them in various homes.

More: Netflix unveil new series 'The Crown'

The show is created by Mark Hudis ('True Blood', 'That 70s Show') and includes Mark Palansky ('Penelope') and Primetime Emmy winner Barry Sonnenfeld ('Men in Black', 'The Addams Family') in directing roles, while Daniel Handler himself writes the screenplay.

'A Series of Unfortunate Events' will be released on Netflix on Friday 13th January 2017.