Neil patrick harris starring in netflix's a series of unfortunate events

How I Met Your Mother actor Neil Patrick Harris is in talks to star in Netflix's rendition of A Series of Unfortunate Events, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

Harris would lead as the evil Count Olaf. The show is being produced by Paramount Television in collaboration with Netflix, and will head straight-to-series on the streaming service.

Daniel Handler, author of the series of books (under the pen name Lemony Snicket) that inspired the series, is executive producer of the series. Handler's story follows three orphaned kids, Violet, Klaus, and Sunny Baudelaire as they discover the peculiar circumstances of their parent's death.

The Hollywood Reporter has also learned that Mark Hudis (True Blood) is stepping down from his role as the series' showrunner. Netflix has neither commented nor named a replacement. Barry Sonnenfeld is still set to direct.

Netflix signed the series for a 13-episode run back in November. An official release date has not been set for the show.

Harris' most successful television role was playing Barney Stinson on CBS' How I Met Your Mother—a show that ran 200-plus episodes over nine years. Last year, Harris hosted NBC's Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris, and it was canceled after one season.