John Carpenter is slipping into the director’s chair in May to lens the horror film “The Ward.” The film will star Amber Heard (“All the Boys Love Mandy Lane”) as a woman in a mental institution who confronts a malevolent ghost. “The Ward is the kind of script that I've been looking for: a complex, visceral story, full of suspense and scares,” Carpenter said in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter. “I am especially pleased to be working with Amber because I know she will create a powerful central performance.” Carpenter, who directed such classics as “Halloween” and “The Thing,” returns after an eight year break following 2001’s “Ghosts of Mars.” “The Ward” is scripted by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen. Echo Lake Entertainment and Peter Block’s film company Bigger Boat will produce and finance. “Working with John Carpenter on The Ward is a dream come true - fans everywhere, me included, have been waiting for just this kind of thriller from him,” Block said, whose producing credits include “Saw” and “The Devil’s Rejects.” “It’s great to be able to tackle it with the Echo Lake gang whose work I’ve also admired for years.” Express yourself and be part of the news! Leave a comment below or join our rabid discussions on the SyBoards.