Jason Arnopp is one of British horror’s best-kept secrets. That’s about to change as his breakout novel, The Last Days of Jack Sparks, hasn’t just been a big hit but has been optioned by a big director.

Arnopp, writing yesterday, confirmed that movie rights for the novel have been optioned by Ron Howard. Best known for movies like Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind, Howard has a massively varied back catalog and we’re really interested to see what’s he going to do with the novel.

Arnopp reveals he’s been working on the latest version of the script for some time and working with Howard on the picture. The novel, telling the story of the final horrific days of a journalist setting out to debunk the paranormal, is released in paperback in the US on 4 April. UK readers can, and should buy it now.