After his debut feature, "Willard" (2003)—a remake of an earlier 1971 film—failed to perform well at the box office, Morgan was approached by Dimension Films to write and direct a remake of "Black Christmas" (1974). Morgan was a fan of the original film, and cited it as a predecessor to the modern slasher film, which influenced his decision to commit to the remake. Star Crystal Lowe noted Morgan's admiration and aim to "take the film to a different level," while "respecting the fact that original was a great movie to begin with."