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YOUTUBIA — A perfectly creepy trailer for Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of the popular book series “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events” has turned out to be a fake, according to the streaming service.
The 35-second video, dubbed “An Unfortunate Teaser,” popped up on YouTube on July 5 under the account Eleanora Poe, the name of a character in Lemony Snicket's novels. The clip has already garnered 2 million views in a little more than 48 hours. The account features no other videos.
Though only half a minute long, the trailer has enough creepy-crawly energy to make viewers squirm and quickly establishes a sinister yet stylish environment, all to the tune of “Missed Me” by the cabaret punk group Dresden Dolls. The teaser seems to fit the vibe of the 13-title young adult book series, with spiders climbing out of a dusty gramophone and dirtied china creeping with maggots, all concluding with an unmistakable shadowy profile of the series’ antagonist: Count Olaf. The YouTube video even has a convincing Netflix logo graphic that pops up on a dirty typewriter.
Well played, Ms. Poe.
Author Daniel Handler, who writes under the pen name Lemony Snicket, even tweeted out praise for the teaser:
Eleanora Poe, whomever you are: I owe you a gimlet, you trickster. --DH https://t.co/jPctrnEX2d — Daniel Handler (@DanielHandler) July 6, 2015
Though the trailer may be counterfeit, the adaptation of the books by Netflix is not. Netflix has plans to release its version of the novels sometime in 2016, according to a [list of premiere dates](https://pr.netflix.com/WebClient/loginPageSalesNetWorksAction.do?contentGroupId=10571&contentGroup=Premiere%20Dates) for original content.
In an interview with BuzzFeed, series author Handler, with no little amount of self-deprecation, said he is excited for the project.
“I believe Netflix honcho Cindy Holland has read the ‘Unfortunate Events’ books to her niece,” he said. “While Child Services looked into the matter, we decided to work together.”
Netflix acquired the rights to the book series, published between 1999 and 2006, and will produce it in conjunction with Paramount Television.
A film version was made in 2004, which combined the first three novels into one tale of three orphaned children’s attempt to escape the clutches of their nefarious relative Count Olaf. The movie starred the likes of Jim Carrey, Jude Law and Emily Browning. It grossed just under $120 million.
The project has very little other news, with no casting rumors and not even a shell of an IMDb page. Perhaps that’s why Eleanora Poe took it upon herself to spice things up for Snicket’s fans.
Netflix should probably thank her for the buzz she created for its show. No word on if the media giant will ask the channel to take the teaser down.
