The Oxford English Dictionary defines 'contagion' as 'the transmission of a disease by direct physical contact with an infected person'. Despite the lack of mention for zombies there - an obvious oversight - it's a neat summary of the plight facing the complement of A-listers Steven Soderbergh has assembled for his new bio-thriller.
But will **Contagion **be a high-class Outbreak, minus the monkeys and sneeze-cam, or an artier study of humans under duress? Judging by this new one-sheet, probably a little of both. Joining a very poorly looking Gwyneth Paltrow (see, all those mung beans won't stop a pandemic) are Marion Cotillard, Matt Damon, Laurence Fishburne, Jude Law and Kate Winslet as the men and women afflicted by the movie's mysterious global virus.
Its marketing campaign in full swing, **Contagion **has already unleashed suitably icky-coloured character banners below and a nerve-fraying trailer on the world.{Contagion Character Posters}All it'll take now is an a outbreak of sniffles in the **Empire **office and we're coming to work in orange chem suits.
**Contagion **is out(breaking) on October 21.