In a recent interview with BET, Sanaa Lathan discussed Steven Soderbergh‘s Contagion, and the upcoming thriller Vipaka, co-starring Anthony Mackie, Forest Whitaker and Mike Epps.

About Contagion:

“Steven Soderbergh knew what he was doing when he made our characters Black. He’s such a smart guy and he’s aware of film history. We had a conversation on set and he said, “I wasn’t interested in this being another ‘white man save the world movie.” So Steven knew that he wanted Laurence really early on. I love him for that. Laurence and Matt Damon were two of the first actors cast in the movie. It was an enjoyable experience working with people who really get it.”

On Vipaka:

“We just finished it in New Orleans and I play Anthony Mackie’s wife. It’s kind of like a love triangle between my character, Anthony’s and Mike Epps’ character, who plays his brother. Mike Epps is doing a really dark, complicated edgy role. People are gonna be so blown away by him in this movie. Forest Whitaker plays a mysterious person who comes into all of our lives and makes us reveal secrets we have from each other and ourselves. So it’s like a horror film but it’s also a psychological thriller. I had a blast working with Anthony, Mike and Forest — that was a treat for me.”

“There’s no voodoo or witchcraft. No, it’s more like one of those horror ghost stories of the grudge movie ilk. There’s definitely some freaky s— in it. It will keep people on the edge of their seats. You’ll be jumping and screaming, but it’s also really deep and really layered. I’m not interested in doing a straight horror film. I’m excited because there are good moments in Vipaka that I don’t think people have seen Black people do on screen lately.”

Very interesting, especially Mike Epps‘ role. I don’t recall seeing him in anything other than comedies.

Contagion hits theaters this Friday, September 9th (see Tambay‘s review here). Vipaka is currently in post-production and should be released sometime next year.