When I first read the release, I saw the words meth and snake, and immediately thought this was about something else entirely.

Variety reports that Dimension Films has just picked up the rights to Clifford Meth's series Snaked. It is a horror-noir that follows a government employee who lives in a world of dirty politics, unfaithful women, and backstabbing friends -- and one day, abruptly sheds his skin and grows some fangs. It's a loaded metaphor, you see, and plenty of sex and violence follow.

Meth will be penning the screenplay himself. No director has been named yet, but the project is being overseen by producer Richard Saperstein, who was behind the studio's 1408, The Mist, and the Rob Zombie Halloween remake. The premise of Snaked seems to fit right in -- and I think IDW and Dimension are becoming the best of friends. The studio optioned their Joe Hill series Locke & Key only weeks ago.

I haven't read Snaked (Hollywood is buying these up faster than I can read them), so someone is going to have to fill me in. The premise seems to fit perfectly with Dimension -- I'm envisioning lots of gore and female nudity.

Over at Deadline Hollywood Daily, Nikki Finke has been investigating the employment status of Richard Saperstein, who supposedly still works for Dimension Films. Saperstein is/was the president of production over at Dimension, which I'm sure you all know is part of The Weinstein Co. Finke had heard a rumor that Saperstein was canned, probably because of the disappointing Grindhouse box office. Supposedly, he was even telling friends that he got fired, but then later he found out he didn't actually lose his job. According to Finke's sources, the confusion has to do with Saperstein's contract with Dimension, which either lasts another 18 months or as long as another four years. So, maybe the guy was relieved of his position but hasn't technically lost his job. In a statement from The Weinstein Co. to Finke, Saperstein was said to still be "an employee of the company." Of course, that doesn't say he's still the president of production.

Other tidbits that Finke points out about Saperstein's reign at Dimension include his involvement in the recent hit 1408, which should be redeeming him for Grindhouse, which certainly shouldn't have been his fault anyway (who do you think has more influence with Tarantino and Rodriguez -- Harvey and Bob Weinstein or Saperstein?). Also, Saperstein reportedly just snagged Dimension the rights to remake David Cronenberg's Scanners. Whether or not Saperstein is still employed at Dimension, it appears that lawyers may end up involved, and we will probably see him leave the studio anyway. Then maybe we'll hear about the Weinstein's continued plans to fix the reputation of their slow-going company, of which Dimension should be doing the better business, like it was doing when it was a part of Miramax. Dimension is probably doing better than The Weinstein Co. as a distributor, but maybe it could layoff the sequels and horror remakes and be even more successful.