NPH could be our new Count Olaf.

We’re told Neil Patrick Harris is in talks to star in Netflix’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, the streaming company’s live-action adaptation of the best-selling book series by Lemony Snicket (the narrator of the books and actual author Daniel Handler’s pen name).

Harris (How I Met Your Mother) is up for the role of the villainous Count Olaf, the foe of three orphaned children — Violet, Klaus, and Sunny — as they try to uncover the secret behind their parents’ death. The actor most recently led NBC’s short-lived variety show effort Best Time Ever with Neil Patrick Harris but perhaps the best credit in his history to cite for this new project is his role as Dr. Horrible in Doctor Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.

In a behind-the-scenes change, however, we’re told that showrunner Mark Hudis (True Blood) is exiting the project. Netflix had no comment.

Unfortunate Events is executive produced by Handler and Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) and represents Netflix’s aim to launch a major live-action family series. There are 13 Lemony Snicket books in the series so far. The books were adapted into a 2004 movie starring Jim Carrey.