Warner Bros. Puts Out a Call for Writers to Craft 'Contagion 2'

[Wang Chung]

Just when we were starting to get over the wicked case of germaphobia inspired by Steven Soderbergh’s “deadly disease run amok†flick Contagion, we get news that Warner Bros. has put out an OWA with the intention of beginning production on a sequel. Time to order more Tyvek suits, apparently.

An OWA, or Open Writing Assignment, is basically a call to Hollywood screenwriters to start coming up with ideas. The studios tend to keep a bunch of very specialized lists of what writers are good at what things (from broad topics like “action movies†to incredibly detailed skills like “funny one liners†– thanks to The Black List for the examples), and then when they have a specific need they go to the lists to find folks who can fill the job.

It’s interesting to hear Warners going this route because it basically means they don’t have anyone in mind to write a sequel and are taking meetings to find that writer (or writers). We do know that the original Contagion screenwriter, Scott Z. Burns, will be back as a producer. It remains unclear as to whether or not Steven Soderbergh will return to direct, but it seems unlikely given his oft-discussed impending retirement.

The first film focused on a skilled team of doctors responding to the outbreak of a deadly disease. Since the sequel is still looking for writers, it’s too soon to even speculate how that story might continue or whether or not the project will move in an entirely new direction. The original Contagion debuted this past September and earned $135 million in box office receipts.

We’ll keep you posted on how the hunt for a Contagion 2 writer progresses. In the meantime, let us know what you think the sequel should be about.

I loved the first one. It was original and the whole movie went full circle.

 

[Eddie North]

Don't see much of a point for a second one. Wasn't impressed with the first and would rather see a sequel to Outbreak then Contagion.