http://www.zap2it.com/movies/news/story/0,1259,---27746,00.html

'Black Christmas' Remake Details Emerge (Michelle Trachtenberg, Lacey
Chabert in cast)

By Daniel Fienberg Friday , February 03, 2006 11:02 AM PT

LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -- When it was released in 1974, Bob Clark's
"Black Christmas" became a cult sensation and its plotline -- a
twisted psychopath methodically slaughters the nubile residents of a
sorority house -- helped established the framework for the legion of
mostly inferior slasher flicks that followed.
The genre is set to go full circle this winter when the Dimension and
2929 Productions unleash a new "Black Christmas."

"It is different," promises "Final Destination 3" director James
Wong, who worked on the "Black Christmas" script with helmer Glen
Morgan. "There's the basic elements of 'Black Christmas,' which is
Bob Clark's movie. I don't know if I want to give too much away.
There's stuff that is much darker in terms of who the killer is and
how he got to be who he is and who he actually is."
Meeting with reporters to talk about more immediately upcoming films,
several members of the new "Black Christmas" cast were a bit more
willing to delve into details, though they also left a healthy
measure of ambiguity.

"It basically centers around four sorority girls and it's an
ensemble, so I'm one of the girl who's being stalked by this crazed
killer," says "Final Destination 3" star Mary Elizabeth Winstead,
suggesting at least one strong tie between the two films. "I don't
know if anyone's seen the original, but it's sort of a prequel and a
sequel kind of combined. The first big chunk of the movie follows
Billy's back story as child. There's a lot of twists in it, so it has
a lot of surprises. It's definitely different than the original, but
it's sort of based on the original."

The other members of the probably doomed sisterhood seem to be
Michelle Trachtenberg ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Lacey Chabert
("Party of Five") and Katie Cassidy ("Click"). Promoting her brief
role in "When a Stranger Calls" (a remake of the 1979 thriller that
was, coincidentally, conceived as a "Black Christmas" sequel),
Cassidy offers a few spoilers about both her character and her fate.

"I decided she was probably there on scholarship or something, she's
like the girl next door," Cassidy says. "She's sweet. I'll actually
tell you that I do live in the film, which is exciting."

Cassidy adds that the first 20 pages of the new script concentrate on
the presumptive killer's origins, which involve murder, forced
confinement and a distinct absence of Yule-time spirit.

"I just remember when I was reading, that seriously scared the crap
out of me," Cassidy says of the opening scenes. "I was at home
reading it at night by myself and normally I'm fine doing that and I
had to put it down, because I was like, 'I'm gonna freak out.'"

"Black Christmas" is aiming for a Dec. 25 release. "When a Stranger
Calls" is now in theaters and "Final Destination 3" opens next Friday
(Feb. 10).