For those of you dying to see John Carpenter’s return to horror, ARC Entertainment in collaboration with Barry Gordon’s XLrator Media have partnered to acquire US rights to Carpenter’s The Ward (review), which premiered at this past September’s TIFF. Amber Heard stars in the 1960s psychological thriller as a young woman trapped inside a mental institution who is terrorised by unseen forces.

In more exciting news, Re-Animator director Stuart Gordon is reteaming with producer Brian Yuzna on thriller The Men, which echoes the tones of John Carpenter’s They Live. The film tells the story of a woman who discovers that earth is captive to an alien race that took control of the planet half a million years ago. The late Dan O’Bannon, whose credits include Alien, The Return of the Living Dead and Total Recall, wrote the screenplay.

Global Cinema Distribution & Starz Anchor Bay have acquired North American & UK theatrical rights to the Ford Brother’s The Dead (review) distributing throughout cinemas beginning with the US theatrical release summer of 2011. Shot on locations across Burkina Faso and Ghana, West Africa on 35mm, The Dead is xentered around the journey of an American mercenary, the sole survivor of a plane crash, who has to run the gauntlet across the terrains of Africa, battling against the living dead. Along his journey he finds an ally in a local military man who is desperately searching for his son amongst the chaos. They must band together to make their way through this brand new horrific world of the dead.

In other news, LA-based American World Pictures has closed key territory sales on its fantasy adventure Jabberwocky (first look), led by a UK deal with Artificial Eye. SyFY International acquired US rights, which means Anchor Bay will probably end up distributing on DVD/Blu-ray. Steven R Monroe (I Spit on Your Grave) directed Tahmoh Penikett, Michael Worth and Kacey Barnfield in the AWP and Bron Studios production about a young warrior who defends his land from a supernatural beast. Raul Inglis and Rafael Jordan wrote the screenplay.