We got a look at Steven Soderbergh’s new thriller Contagion while at CinemaCon, and the film seems like a mashup of Outbreak and Children of Men — which is a good combination in our book.

During CinemaCon, Warner Bros. showed off bits and pieces of their upcoming slate of films before showcasing their summer blockbusters. Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion hit the screen long enough to give us a sense of exactly what audiences are in for when this film hits theaters October 21st.

The first thoughts that went through my head after Contagion flew by in the midst of an epic sizzle reel of upcoming movies was Outbreak. One of the best viral outbreak films (zombie apocalypses excluded) in recent memory, this footage had that “government-perspective” to it. But it also showcased a Kate Winslet voiceover and some more personal images that suggest a more emotional movie. The best way to describe the footage is the fear and intensity of Outbreak mashed with the globalization and realism of Children of Men.

It was pretty epic, but felt like half a trailer. Hopefully this means a trailer is on its way, but one guarantee is that the film’s scope is huge. It was shot in Hong Kong, Minneapolis, Chicago, China, Dubai, Japan, Switzerland, The United Kingdom, Brazil, Russia and Malaysia and includes a cast of Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Laurence Fishburne and Gwyneth Paltrow. Given the recent news of Steven Soderbergh’s impending retirement from directing, he clearly isn’t going out quietly.

To recap the footage shown at CinemaCon, it was mostly quick flashes of each of the major characters in their respective elements — Jude Law in a full-body containment suit strutting down a trashed and deserted city street and Matt Damon walking around a house as if something terrifying is right around the corner.

Continue reading “Contagion” footage at CinemaCon is “Outbreak” meets “Children of Men”