Steven Soderbergh explains why Contagion doesn't have a philosophical sequel yet. Directed by Soderbergh, with a script written by Scott Z. Burns, the 2011 medical thriller follows the spread of a highly contagious virus transmitted through respiratory droplets, which turns into a worldwide pandemic, and the development of a vaccine to halt its spread. Its ensemble cast includes Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law, Marion Cotillard, Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Bryan Cranston. In December 2020, after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Soderbergh said he and Burns were working on a philosophical sequel to Contagion.