John Carpenter's WARD
 

Heard to Star in John Carpenter's Ward
Source:Ryan Rotten, Managing Editor February 2, 2009


A Bigger Boat and Echo Lake are pairing up to produce John Carpenter's horror film The Ward. Shooting is to begin this May based on a script by Michael and Shawn Rasmussen.

All the Boys Love Mandy Lane's Amber Heard will star as a young woman trapped in a mental institution with a malevolent ghost. As danger creeps closer, she comes to realize that this ghost might be darker than she could have imagined.

"The Ward is the kind of script that I've been looking for: a complex, visceral story, full of suspense and scares," says Carpenter. "I am especially pleased to be working with Amber because I know she will create a powerful central performance."

On the producing side, Doug Mankoff, Mike Marcus and Andy Spaulding will represent Echo Lake; Peter Block will shepherd the project along under his newly born Bigger Boat banner.

"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 says. "It's great to be able to tackle it with the Echo Lake gang whose work I've also admired for years."

Block is currently producing Adam Green's latest, Frozen.


***might have had a small "uncredited" hand in this one***

Cool, sounds interesting...I'll keep an eye out.

Let's just hope it's better than "Ghosts Of Mars"

Yes! I wish JC would make more films.

Ditto!... :)

ghosts of looney tunes is more like it - let's hope its better than his recent work

So we know it's a "complex, visceral story, full of suspense and scares", I think I remember reading something about a ghost, but does anyone know anything about the story line. I'm seriously excited to see him keep the ball rolling after Midnight Meat Train. This ones going directly into the 'must see' pile.

Dare I ask what Carpenter had to do with Midnight Meat Train?

Oops sorry-Clive Barker- my bad.

I wish Carpenter would make good films. He's sucked for the last 20 years. The last good movie he made was They Live.

I know;) I read the script...
But it wouldn't be cool of me to spill the beans, sorry.

Damn it! Now I'm gonna have to watch it, what ever am I going to do?

I don't want to know the whole script. I was just telling some friends about it, and didn't know much about the film. Is it based off of anything, does it follow a format similar to adapted Japanese horror movies? I'll be there when it comes out one way or the other, I was just trying to milk any info.

John Carpenter rules :D We hope the best for him and his latest film. Maybe his modern day films aren't up to par w/ his classics such as Halloween, Christine and The Thing, but I think most of us would agree that any film he makes at least deserves a chance.
Take care
-SPFX

It is a classic haunted house tale set in an insane asylum with some really fucked-up imagery that will play on your fears of medicine and incarceration with a kick-ass, defiant female lead.

The Masters Of Horror episode Cigarette Burns shows that he's still got it in him.

I thought Vampires was brilliant.

Sounds classic, I've always been paraniod about medicine. I've also been incarcerated and I'm currently married to a defiant female. Haha.

Thanks Rod:) This movie is high up on the must see list.

John Carpenter's Vampires is one of the silliest movies I've ever seen.

Get outta here!

James Woods was great in it and it was a good fun over the top flick. You were probably just taking it to seriously.

Um- no. It's actually a crappy movie.

Whatever. .................

from the Hollywood Reporter

Danielle Panabaker checks in to 'Ward'
Amber Heard also stars in John Carpenter thriller
By Borys Kit

June 17, 2009, 11:00 PM ET

Danielle Panabaker (Getty)

Danielle Panabaker will star opposite Amber Heard in "The Ward," a psychological horror thriller that John Carpenter is directing for Echo Lake Entertainment and A Bigger Boat.

The story follows a girl (Heard) who is admitted to a psychiatric ward, meets other girls there with distinct personalities and discovers a mysterious girl haunting the halls at night.

Panabaker plays a patient in the institution, a snobbish girl who flirts with orderlies and faces electroshock therapy.

Mamie Gummer ("Taking Woodstock") also has been cast as a patient.

Michael and Shawn Rasmussen wrote the script, with revisions by Jim Agnew and Sean Keller.
Doug Mankoff, Peter Block, Mike Marcus and Andrew Spaulding are producing. Principal photography is scheduled to begin next month in Spokane, Wash.

Well, my my.... great catch, Sean!

I was just going to post this from BD and say "Sean you are caught!" in the end.

But you beat me to it.

Another topper of a catch, Sean. Keep going!

Thanks.

We did the job last summer and I wasn't sure if I could talk about it, but the Hollywood Reporter caled us out, so I guess it's cool.

JC should be able to make something really cool out of this.

Our job was to punch up the female lead (make her a Carpenter chick), clear up a few plot holes and to essentially tailor the script to Carpenter's skills and taste. We got to know his style and taste rather well working on L.A. GOTHIC with him (but it's hard to get to know the man) and when he saw the script needed work, he asked for us!:D

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product and I hope to be on set!

Wow! that's simply awesome! Congrats, Man!:cool:

one more thing... we wrote 3 different endings and have NO IDEA which one will be shot:D

Post them here and we'll vote which he should use! :p

Brilliant Idea!:D

otherwise tell them to shoot all the 3 and then choose the best one for final product and hold the other 2 for DVD release and add them as Alternative endings.:)

also...

it's a period flick set in the late 1950s

seems like its going to be very similar to the Scorsese film that's coming out soon Shutter Island. that would be unfortunate

Got a call from Dr. Carpenter yesterday. We're trying to come up with a new ending! I love it when he calls:D

Don't know if he's using the new ending we senthim, but THE WARD starts shooting on Monday, which happens to be my birthday!

Pretty cool B-Day present:D

Thanks Dr. Carpenter!