It may have hit theatres almost a decade ago, but Contagion, Steven Soderbergh’s thriller about a worldwide epidemic, has resurfaced in the wake of the real-life coronavirus outbreak in China. The film branches off into multiple narratives as the epidemic spreads and the CDC attempts to find a cure. Outbreak, the 1995 film about a group of army doctors racing to find a cure for a virus spreading through California brought to the country by an African monkey, has also broken the Top 100. The coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, has so far claimed over 100 lives, with over 4,500 cases confirmed as of Tuesday, according to The New York Times. To prevent the spread, all Chinese New Year-themed films set for release this week have been cancelled despite being one of the most lucrative weekends for cinemas, thousands of which have shut their doors.

Source: National Post January 29, 2020 17:37 UTC