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Press - 2006
Michelle to play sorority sister in Black Christmas
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.
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