DreamWorks Studios has picked up film rights to Kathryn Stockett's best-selling novel The Help, which centers on the complicated relationships between the matrons of the South in 1962 and the maids and housekeepers who take care of their kids and homes.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tate Taylor adapted the novel into a screenplay after acquiring the rights. He also will direct the film.

"'The Help' is much more than a book; it has become a cultural phenomenon that has captured the imagination of people everywhere," DreamWorks co-president of production Holly Bario said. "Stockett's novel and, subsequently, Tate Taylor's script, perfectly depicts the distinctive relationships these women shared with one another. It's a story that has touched us and one that we look forward to bringing to a wider audience."

No production date has been set.