Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson Star in Taylor Swift’s ‘Patient Zero’ Video Teaser

Avatar photoValentina Kraljik
Colin Farrell Taylor swift Dakota Johnson
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Taylor Swift is known for making a splash with her announcements. Recently, she has been rolling out one of her most intricate campaigns in years, featuring swapped letters in her Instagram bio and zeros replacing the Os in lyrics on Apple Music. The culmination of this ‘Patient Zero’ rollout has arrived with a cinematic music video featuring an unexpected cast.

The single is set to drop on Friday, September 25, marking Swift’s second new release this year after ‘I Knew It, I Knew You’, which was part of the ‘Toy Story 5’ soundtrack in June. This new track is also linked to an expanded edition of last year’s ‘The Life of a Showgirl’, which spent 12 weeks at the top of the Billboard 200 and produced two Hot 100 No. 1 singles. The updated version, titled ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’, includes four new songs: ‘Patient Zero’, ‘Cleveland!’, ‘Pink Clouding’, and ‘Babylon’.

The music video boasts a star-studded cast, featuring Colin Farrell and Dakota Johnson alongside Swift, who directed the clip herself. It will make its world premiere at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, September 27, with Swift giving a sneak peek during ‘CBS Mornings’ on Thursday.

The teaser is brief, atmospheric, and devoid of dialogue. It features Swift and Johnson reflecting each other over a bathroom sink, diving into water, and standing together at a grave. Other visuals include a snow-covered graveyard, a black rose on a headstone, and a Greek statue.

A close-up of Swift crying reveals her engagement ring, followed by Farrell emerging from a luxury sedan at night. The final shots bring all three together, dressed in black, in a lounge setting. The credits acknowledge Swift as the star, along with Farrell and Johnson.

The accompanying soundtrack features a gentle instrumental with Irish folk influences, leaving fans still guessing about the song’s sound. Nevertheless, speculation is already rampant.

Swift has enlisted top talent behind the camera as well. The video was shot by Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki, known for ‘The Revenant’ and ‘Birdman’, who also worked on Tom Cruise’s upcoming film ‘Digger’. The teaser’s aesthetic, with its concrete interiors and stark statuary, suggests a departure from the glitz of the ‘Showgirl’ era.

This marks Swift’s first music video since her much-publicized wedding earlier this year. At the VMAs, she will receive the inaugural Artist-Director Award and is nominated in multiple categories, including video of the year.

The title ‘Patient Zero’ has sparked considerable theorizing. Some fans speculate it references a 2024 Los Angeles Times article describing Swift as “patient zero for emotional contagion,” while others suggest different interpretations tied to the term’s historical context. Swift has yet to confirm the song’s meaning or whether it signals a new era.

Despite some bumps along the way, including criticism of the single’s cover art for being overly edited and the decision to release three CD versions with different covers, excitement remains high. The teaser garnered over 142,000 views within an hour of being shared by Film Updates.

For Farrell and Johnson, their involvement adds a touch of prestige to this pop event. The VMAs will be broadcast live from the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on CBS, MTV, and Paramount+, promising to be one of Swift’s most significant nights in years.

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