John Carpenter has signed on to helm ghost story The Ward, reports The Hollywood Reporter.

Pineapple Express actress Amber Heard will star as a young woman trapped in a mental asylum who is haunted by a spirit.

"The Ward is the kind of script that I've been looking for: a complex, visceral story, full of suspense and scares," said Carpenter.

Production is scheduled to begin in May.

Carpenter has not directed a feature film since 2001's Ghosts Of Mars. His previous credits include The Thing, Halloween and The Fog.