Jude Law says scientists on the set of Contagion warned a similar pandemic was a ‘case of when rather than if’

As coronavirus began to rapidly spread earlier this year, all eyes turned to Contagion, the Steven Soderbergh-directed film that seemingly predicted the pandemic nine years ago.

In March, the film reappeared on the iTunes chart almost a decade after its release, as people pointed out its disturbing accuracy. (They even mention social distancing!)

Now, Jude Law has revisited Contagion in an interview with GQ, and revealed that the scientific experts on set warned that a real pandemic was inevitable:

"There was absolutely the sense that this was going to happen. The great scientists on set with us who had worked with Scott Burns, the writer, and Steven [Soderbergh] were very learned and experienced individuals who knew what to expect and they all said to us that this was going to happen, and it was a case of when rather than if."

In the film, the actor plays Alan Krumwiede, a conspiracy theorist whose false claims of curing himself of the virus with a homeopathic remedy leads to pharmacies becoming overwhelmed.

“What’s extraordinary, maybe more in a way than the virus spreading, is how characters like that have really started to pop up,” Law said, referencing the many conspiracy theories surrounding the coronavirus.

Law also admitted his disappointment in not absorbing the advice of scientific experts as well as he should have:

“The way they described it, which is exactly as it has happened, just made sense. It’s why they painted all the out all the obvious areas and reasons why it spread so quickly. What’s scary is that you learn on a film like that because you’re being advised by experts but it doesn’t necessarily sit. I mean, that was 10 years ago, maybe nine. So I’d say that maybe sat in my system, scared the hell out of me for all of 18 months."

"And after that, I don’t know that I was as aware of it as I probably was when I came off the back of it. But when 2020 started and we heard about what was initially happening in China and what fast became apparent around the world, it rang alarm bells. Unfortunately, I wasn’t hugely surprised."

Contagion continues to prove that it’s not exactly the best movie night material. Maybe give it a few years.