Stephen King's top-selling 1986 novel about a murderous clown, It, will be adapted to the big screen by Warner Bros.

The Hollywood Reporter says screenwriter Dave Kajganich — who wrote 2007's The Invasion starring Nicole Kidman — has been hired to adapt the novel.

No other positions or participating actors have been announced.

The story concerns a group of children who call themselves the Losers and are menaced by It, an evil creature which can take the form of the children's greatest fears.

The creature's favorite form is that of a sadistic clown called Pennywise. Many years later, the creature resurfaces and the kids, who are now adults, must do battle with It again.

The novel is set in 1958 and 1985, though the feature version will be set in the present day.

The book was made into a three-hour TV miniseries in 1990, with Tim Curry as the nasty It.

Other actors in the TV series included John Ritter, Tim Reid, Annette O'Toole and Richard Thomas.