Neil Patrick Harris is unrecognisable in first trailer for Netflix's A Series of Unfortunate Events

The first trailer for Netflix's adaptation of Lemony Snicket's series of children's books, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, has been released - giving viewers a glimpse of How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris in a far more ominous guise.

Harris has donned make-up and facial hair to play the crooked villain at the heart of Snicket's 13 novels that follow the adventures of Violet, Klaus and Sunny Baudelaire after they are orphaned and left in the custody of Count Olaf.

A scene from the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Olaf attempts to kill the children in a string of orchestrated disasters in an attempt to steal their inheritance, and, after repeatedly escaping his clutches, they uncover a secret society which may shed light on their parents' demise.

Netflix has adapted Snicket (real name Daniel Handler)'s novels into an eight-episode series which is executive produced by the author with The Tick producer Barry Sonnenfeld.

Patrick Warburton has been cast as the on-screen version of Snicket, Joan Cusack plays Justice Strauss while Malina Weissman and Louis Hynes play Violet and Klaus, respectively.

The first three of Snicket's books were adapted into a film, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, in 2004.

A scene from the upcoming Netflix adaptation of Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events will be released on Netflix in January, 2017.