AceShowbiz - With the release of his latest film "Black Bag", director Steven Soderbergh remains busy as he hints at a riveting new project. In a recent conversation with Variety, he divulged that he and Scott Z. Burns, the writer behind 2011's "Contagion," have pondered over creating a sequel to the 2011 thriller.

Soderbergh was especially moved by the discussions of microplastics to create something both terrifying and true-to-life, as he emphasized the alarming presence of plastic in the human bloodstream and even in our brains.

"There's certainly a case to be made, especially in the West, for the long-term effects, environmentally, of what we eat, what we breathe. As is well known, we have plastic in our blood now. It's in our brains," he said. "This is a new thing that's got to have a pretty serious effect. There's lots of possibilities."

This insight reveals how deeply Soderbergh considers the impact of his work, not only cinematically but also thematically.

Released more than a decade ago, "Contagion" had an ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, and Jude Law. The film was both a critical and financial success at release and regained acclaim during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite the film's renewed relevance, Soderbergh resists any temptation to simply replicate its success. "It would have to be about something new, but also something that's plausible," Soderbergh stated, highlighting the importance of anchoring the sequel in reality to maintain its resonance and authenticity with audiences.

Reflecting on the film's impact, Soderbergh remarked, "Part of the reason people were able to find resonance in that movie when it opened, and then 10 years later when the pandemic happened, was it was rooted in reality. We've got to find a new gimmick, but it's got to be something that people go, 'Oh, that could happen.' "

The potential sequel, according to Soderbergh, needs to be a relevant topic capable of transforming into "a huge thing" with just a slight push. "To me, 'Contagion' was a horror movie. So the trick would be, can you find something as scary that's real?" he mused.

The filmmaker admitted he has been mulling over the follow-up since "Contagion" gained newfound popularity in 2020, "It's just a reminder of how deeply irrational we are. When we're put into some sort of fear-threat space, we become deeply illogical. It's crazy to witness."

For now, "Black Bag" is captivating audiences in theaters, but young viewers can stay tuned for what might become another spine-chilling, reality-rooted narrative from Steven Soderbergh.