For starters, as you can plainly see, the colors used in the two movie posters are almost identical. They're so close in fact, that it makes me wonder whether this was some kind of conscious choice made by Contagion's marketing and publicity team.
Next, check out this description of Outbreak found on Rotten Tomatoes:
A handful of scientists struggle to prevent the destruction of a small town -- and possibly the entire country. In the mid-1960s, a deadly virus is discovered in Zaire that wipes out an entire village in 24 hours. Government researchers are brought in to investigate, but the military opts to destroy the village rather than risk further infection. Thirty years later, Sam Daniels, an expert on contagious diseases, is called in when the virus re-emerges.
Now here's the description of Contagion:
Contagion follows the rapid progress of a lethal airborne virus that kills within days. As the fast-moving epidemic grows, the worldwide medical community races to find a cure and control the panic that spreads faster than the virus itself.
And besides the obvious story similarities, consider this:
- Each movie was helmed by a highly acclaimed director. Wolfgang Peterson (Das Boot, Troy, In the Line of Fire) directed Outbreak, while Steven Soderbergh (Erin Brockovich, Sex, Lies and Videotape, The Girlfriend Experience) handled Contagion.
- Both films feature very strong ensemble casts. Outbreak stars Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman, Rene Russo, Kevin Spacey and Cuba Gooding Jr. Contagion has Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Jude Law, Laurence Fishburne, and Marion Cotillard
- At the time of their release, both casts brought strong Oscar credentials to the screen. Hoffman had already won two (Kramer vs Kramer and Rain Man), Freeman one (Driving Miss Daisy), and Spacey and Gooding Jr. would go on to win (for American Beauty and Jerry Maguire, respectively) by the end of the decade.
Contagion matches that with Winslet, Paltrow, and Cotillard all having taken home the golden statuette. (Fishburne and Law were both nominated but lost.) Damon did earn an Oscar for Good Will Hunting, but won it for screenwriting.
Finally, take a look at the Contagion and Outbreak trailers. Pay particularly close attention to the common plot points and also the scenes with Sutherland, Hoffman and Law as they present the data and projection for how quickly the virus will spread. The clips and the dialog are awfully close.
