Tate Taylor (The Help) has optioned Stephen King's forthcoming novel Joyland. Here's the official description of the book, which will be published in June through Titan Books' Hard Case Crime line.

Set in a small-town North Carolina amusement park in 1973, Joyland tells the story of the summer in which college student Devin Jones comes to work as a carny and confronts the legacy of a vicious murder, the fate of a dying child, and the ways both will change his life forever.

Tate Taylor will write the screenplay adaptation and direct. The filmmaker used a similar tactic with his Oscar-nominated adaptation The Help, optioning Kathryn Stockett's novel before it was published. Tate Taylor will also produce alongside John Norris.

No production schedule was given. It should be noted that Stephen King options his novels for a small fee up front, but there is also a "ticking clock" aspect attached to the option.