Spielberg, King, Showtime go Under the Dome

US premium cablenet Showtime has teamed up with celebrated film director Steven Spielberg on an adaptation of a Stephen King novel.

The ET director will help to turn Under the Dome into a TV series, produced through his DreamWorks Television, according to US reports.

The novel was published in 2009 and focuses on a Maine holiday resort that becomes trapped under a mysterious invisible force field. Spielberg and DreamWorks’ Stacey Snider picked up an option for the novel when it was published. Spielberg will executive produce the series along with King, Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank.

Spielberg’s move from films to television has included alien invasion drama Falling Skies for TNT and dinosaur series Terra Nova for Fox. Both programmes have sold around the world.

Spielberg previously teamed up with King to produce a six-part series based on his 1984 novel The Talisman for TNT but the project was shelved because of financing difficulties.

Another King Novel, Bag of Bones, has also been picked up for a short drama series by A+E with Pierce Brosnan cast in the lead role.