Soderbergh's “Contagion” Infects Matt Damon, Kate Winslet

A sneeze launched on the set of "The Informant!" has forced Stephen Soderbergh to clear his calendar and make way for the resulting "Contagion," which has attracted the likes of Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Marion Cotillard.

The four are set to star in Sodergbergh's new film from a script by "Informant" screenwriter Scott Z. Burns, in which the "nature of a virus (is) used to deal with 'issues of sovereignty' and as a metaphor for the way 'information and misinformation travel' in contemporary society," The Playlist reported last fall.

The idea for the film came about when Soderbergh and Burns began discussing the nature of germs while filming a scene from "Informant" in which Scott Bakula's character sneezes, causing Damon's character to go on a rant about who was going to pay for his illness.

The action thriller, which has drawn comparisons to "Bourne Ultimatum" and "Traffic," takes place across four continents and is said to be "terrifying."

Soderbergh is currently shopping the film around to studios -- but it shoudln't be too hard a sell. Considering the talent involved, this should, by all rights, be fantastic.

The downside is that the Soderbergh's desire to begin shooting "Contagion" in the fall means filming of his Liberace biopic gets pushed back to 2011, though "Knockout" is continuing apace.

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