Deadline is now reporting (with little information) that Steven Soderbergh‘s virus thriller, Contagion has been picked up by Warner Brothers, with Summit losing the bid in the end. Gwyneth Paltrow was recently added to the already elaborate cast of Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Marion Cotillard, and Jude Law. The story written by Scott Z. Burns, takes place over 4 continents and is described as a Traffic meets Outbreak virus film.
Warner Brothers has been on a roll with high-profile, edgy films that are successful at the box office. They recently teamed up with Soderbergh for The Informant!, one of my favorite films of last year. Assuming Contagion comes out in 2011 it will be alongside their slate of The Hangover 2, The Green Lantern, Deathly Hallows Pt. 2, Happy Feet 2 and Sucker Punch.
Soderbergh’s Knockout is currently filming and stars Gina Carano, Channing Tatum, Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, and Michael Fassbender. It set to be released in late 2010, while Contagion will start filming in the fall with a $60M budget.
What do you think about Contagion? Is Warner Brothers a good studio to take it on?