When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020,Steven Soderbergh’s 2012 thrillerContagionfound a second life. Now, screenwriterScott Z. Burnsis exploring a return to the film with a technological twist: he’s having an artificial intelligence come up with a sequel pitch. Burns' process will be chronicled in a new Audible podcast,What Could Go Wrong?In a new, Collider-exclusive sneak peek, Burns' AI pitches its sequel idea to Soderbergh himself.
In the clip, Burns has already had the chatbot (the British-accented Lexter) pitch him an idea for theContagionsequel, which involves the distressing amounts of microplastics now found in the human body. Now, he presents it to Soderbergh, who he also worked with onThe Informant!,Side Effects, andThe Laundromat. The veteran director is intrigued, asking follow-up questions to the AI for further details. In addition to Soderbergh,What Could Go Wrong?will also feature interviews with actorsLaurence FishburneandJennifer Ehle; writersNick Bilton, Matt Belloni, and Sarah Nolen; musiciansCliff MartinezandBroken Social Scene’sTed HopeandKevin Drew; tech and AI expertsJoanne JengandMeredith Whittaker; epidemiologistsDr. Larry Brilliant,Dr. Ian Lipkin,Dr. Michael Osterholm, andDr. Shanna Swan; and science journalistLaurie Garrett. Will Burns come up with a workable sequel idea? Will the AI demand final script approval and points on the gross? You’ll have to tune in toWhat Could Go Wrong?, exclusively on Audible, to find out.
What Is ‘Contagion’ About?
In this globe-trotting thriller,Matt Damonplays Mitch Emhoff, a man who’s confronted with a shocking tragedy when his otherwise healthy wife (Gwyneth Paltrow) sickens and dies in a matter of days after a business trip. That tragedy soon goes worldwide, as the disease she contracted becomes a global pandemic, killing millions. While scientists (played by Fishburne, Ehle,Kate Winslet, andMarion Cotillard) attempt to stem the tide of the plague, a conspiracy theorist (Jude Law) spreads misinformation, leading to further misery. The film proved to be eerily prescient in many ways, and rocketed up the streaming charts as the world experienced a real pandemic in 2020.
Burns is a veteran screenwriter and filmmaker, and has directed two films: the dramaPu-238and the political thrillerThe Report. He recently served as executive producer onDune: Prophecy, and is next set to write the script forLuca Guadagnino’s remake ofAmerican Psycho.
What Could Go Wrong?arives today, June 11, exclusively onAudible. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates and in the meantime, listen to the sneak peek above.
