Taylor Swift has recruited Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell for the music video for her new single “Patient Zero.”
The two actors appear alongside Swift in a 13-second preview unveiled Sept. 24 on CBS Mornings. The first look offers only brief glimpses of the story, including a cemetery, a black rose and Swift appearing tearful.
The full video will premiere during the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 27, two days after “Patient Zero” arrives with the expanded The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore.
Swift directed the video, which will debut on the same night she receives MTV’s inaugural Artist Director Honors for her work behind the camera.
Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell Join Swift in the Dark First Look
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Johnson appears dressed in black and seated beside Swift in one of the teaser’s clearest shots, while Farrell stands nearby. Swift has not revealed who either actor is playing or how their characters fit into the video’s story.
Other images show two figures falling into water, a black rose and two women standing at a grave. Swift is also shown washing her hands at a sink and appearing alone in tears.
The dark settings and funeral imagery are a sharp departure from the bright costumes and theatrical imagery that accompanied much of the original Life of a Showgirl era, although Swift has not explained what any of the scenes represent.
Oscar-winning cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki shot the video. His work on Gravity, Birdman and The Revenant earned him three consecutive Academy Awards for Best Cinematography.
‘Patient Zero’ Arrives With Four New ‘Showgirl’ Songs
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Swift announced “Patient Zero” on Sept. 22 after a countdown appeared on her website and zeroes began replacing the letter O across parts of her social media presence.
“I’ve been impatiently waiting to tell you that my brand new single ‘Patient Zero’ will be out on September 25,” she wrote in her Instagram announcement. Her store also briefly offered standard, acoustic and piano collector’s editions of the single.
Another clue had appeared during Swift’s prerecorded Law & Order: SVU sketch at the Emmys, when she recited the phrases “Saccharide. Aries. From the vineyard. North or south.” Fans extracted letters from the phrases to spell “encore.”
Swift confirmed the expanded album the following morning. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore adds “Patient Zero,” “Cleveland!,” “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon” to the original 12-song track list.
She said the four songs came from another writing session with Max Martin and Shellback after she traveled to Sweden following the original album’s release. The trip began as a celebration of the record before the three returned to the studio together.
Both “Patient Zero” and The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore arrive Sept. 25.
The VMAs Will Honor Swift’s Work as a Director
The “Patient Zero” premiere will come as MTV recognizes Swift’s directing career with the first Artist Director Honors, an award created for recording artists whose work behind the camera has expanded music-video storytelling.
Swift has directed projects including “The Man,” “Anti-Hero,” “Bejeweled,” “Fortnight,” “The Fate of Ophelia” and All Too Well: The Short Film. The Hollywood Reporter also confirmed that she directed “Patient Zero.”
She enters the Sept. 27 ceremony with nominations including Video of the Year for “The Fate of Ophelia,” Artist of the Year and Best Direction for “Opalite.”
The complete “Patient Zero” video will premiere during the VMAs on Sept. 27.