been locked in the basement of his home by his mother, whom he later murdered. The introduction of Agnes as a second killer was, according to Mary Elizabeth Winstead, incorporated in-part to extend the film's narrative arc, given that the "phone calls coming from inside the house" plot twist from the 1974 film was too familiar for contemporary audiences. The relationship between Billy and Agnes also allowed Morgan room to explore themes of family, which are also prevalent in the relationships between the female characters. In a 2014 interview with Morgan, he claimed that his inclusion of a second killer was under the urging of Dimension Films executives: "I felt that a ten million dollar movie of Black Christmas didn't need anyone's help, and they should have left us alone. But they had to have the two killers, and then they were after kids from The O.C. We compromised a lot". Casting In casting the sorority sister characters, Morgan sought actresses who were "of the same calibre", in order to avoid typecasting of the final girl and the supporting characters. Katie Cassidy, who also had recently had a supporting part in the When a Stranger Calls remake, was cast in the lead role of Kelli Presley. Michelle Trachtenberg, who had first attracted attention for her role as Dawn Summers on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, had initially wanted to avoid returning to the horror genre unless she were "given the opportunity to die" onscreen. Trachtenberg read the script for the film in the middle of the night while alone in her home, and was unnerved by it, which influenced her decision to sign onto the project; she was cast in the supporting role of Melissa Kitt. Canadian actress Crystal Lowe was cast as Lauren Hannon, a feisty sorority sister from a dysfunctional family, while Lacey Chabert was cast in the role of Dana Mathis, a conceited woman from a privileged background. Actor Robert Mann was later cast for the role of antagonist Billy Lenz, with Mann describing the character as being a "time bomb" due to the severe abuse he suffered. Oliver Hudson was cast as Kyle Autry, the male lead and red herring after finding the script effective, as well being impressed by Morgan's remake of Willard: "The style of [that film] complemented the script, and I thought if Glen could marry the two, it would be cool, and a