Stephen King’s Joyland novel to get the small screen treatment at Freeform

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Ladies and gentlemen, children of all ages, step right up and join me in exploring the latest news in Horror television adaptations! Hurry, hurry, hurry! You won't want to miss what's hiding behind the curtain, as it certainly can't wait to meet you. Today, Freeform has announced that Stephen King's JOYLAND novel is being adapted for TV, courtesy of writers Chris Peña (JANE THE VIRGIN), Cyrus Nowrasteh (HAWAII FIVE-O, THE ISLAND), and Bill Haber’s Ostar Productions (VALOR).

JOYLAND, which is based on the 2013 Stephen King novel published by Hard Case Crime, takes place in a North Carolina amusement park circa 1973, and centers on a carny by the name of Devin Jones, who after accepting a summer job at the traveling attraction, comes face-to-face with the legacy of a vicious murder and the fate of a dying child.

Oh man, and here I thought that cleaning up Ferris Wheel puke was the worst part of being a carnival employee. I'd rather stick my hand in a cotton candy machine turbine than deal with that nonsense.

In addition to writing the pilot episode, Peña and Nowrasteh will also produce. Meanwhile, Haber is expected to serve as an executive producer on the project.

“We are honored to be working with Stephen King – a master storyteller who understands the importance of culturally embedded tales that resonate with audiences on a deeply personal level,” said Karey Burke, executive vice president, Programming and Development, Freeform. “We can’t wait for Joyland to become part of Freeform’s offerings and haunt our viewers as only Stephen can.”

I'd lost touch with Stephen King's novel releases several years back, but perhaps you've read JOYLAND? Do you think it will adapt well for the small screen? Let us know your thoughts int he comments section below.