It’s unclear what version of the word “bleakest” Rob Zombie is using to describe his new project Lords of Salem. On the one hand, it could refer to the tone of the piece. On the other, it could refer to the level of skill involved in the execution. If it’s that second, he’s going to have a tough job topping Halloween 2.

However, no matter what he did to that beloved franchise, it’s difficult not to love a filmmaker who will start filming a new project in April, go on a rock tour in the Summer, and then edit the footage into a film in the Fall. Taking breaks to rock out is always encourage (Steven Spielberg did it when he was still in KISS).

Lords of Salem follows the modern day town as witches who were killed in secret during the witch trials return to take their revenge. Normally this would sound like a Disney channel-sponsored effort starring Bette Midler and Omri Katz, but Zombie is at the helm, and with the promise of bleak material, it’s probably not something that grandma will want to go watch with you. She’ll want to go with her pinochle club, because they all love that kind of shit.

Will the movie be ready for an October release? It might. It depends solely on how quickly Zombie can wipe the sweat and groupie panties from his brow and hash out a first cut. Otherwise, it might have to wait for a January horror release. [Empire]