Remember when the SARS epidemic was a huge deal north of Hong Kong? The epidemic infected more than 8,000 individuals in nearly 37 countries. 774 of those victims eventually died.
Apparently Steven Soderbergh does and that incident is inspiring his next film called CONTAGION about an internationally spreading disease. The Hollywood Reporter writes that Josie Ho has been hired to star in his film alongside other big time names. This includes Marion Cotillard as a World Health Organization doctor, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Kate Winslet. What a cast! I can see great performances over the sound of hacking spit and coughing. Ho will be playing “Patient Zero,” a casino worker who spreads a deadly virus to passengers on an airplane leaving for the United States. Fancy that.
Certain details from the script have popped up with include filming to take place at Minneapolis, Dubai, Japan, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia, and Malaysia. This definitely takes care of the international part of the film.
Soderbergh also commented on trying to film in other parts of China but due to the lack of flexibility there he decided to stick with Hong Kong. The distributing studios, Warner Bros., are planning to unleash CONTAGION in October of 2011.
Crazy cool shite? I think so. The slew of actors that we’ve got here is sounding really good and Soderbergh at the helm of this puppy is not making it worse. You guy’s feeling the same itch?
Just to showcase a bit of Ho’s talent. Josie Ho in BUTTERFLY.