Taylor Swift unveiled the first teaser for her upcoming “Patient Zero” music video, and the clip revealed two major Hollywood stars joining her onscreen.
The 13-second preview debuted on CBS Mornings on September 24 and featured Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell alongside Swift. The teaser also showcased cinematography from Oscar winner Emmanuel Lubezki.
Taylor Swift recruits Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell for ‘Patient Zero’ MV
The short Taylor Swift Patient Zero teaser leaned into a dark, romantic visual style and gave fans several mysterious images to unpack.
The footage showed Swift washing her hands, two people falling into water, a black rose and two women standing near a grave. Another moment showed Swift with tears running down her face.
Johnson’s appearance quickly caught fans’ attention because Swift had previously dropped a “North or South” clue during her 2026 Emmys sketch. Fans later connected that hint to the actress after Swift began teasing her next release.
The full “Patient Zero” video was set to premiere during the MTV Video Music Awards on September 27. Swift planned to release the single two days earlier.
The singer first announced the song on September 22 before revealing an expanded version of The Life of a Showgirl the following day.
The new edition, titled The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, included “Patient Zero” along with three other new tracks: “Pink Clouding,” “Babylon” and “Cleveland!”
Swift explained that she created the additional songs after traveling to Sweden with collaborators Max Martin and Shellback.
“We wrote more songs,” she said while reflecting on the sessions.
According to PEOPLE, she also told fans that the new material grew out of her gratitude for the response to the original album.
The “Patient Zero” rollout followed several clues Swift scattered through the Emmys, Spotify and social media. During her Emmys sketch with Mariska Hargitay, Swift delivered the cryptic phrase, “Saccharide. Aries. From the vineyard. North or south.”
Fans later pulled letters from those words to spell “encore.”
The Taylor Swift new song also arrived ahead of another major VMAs moment. Swift was scheduled to receive the first-ever Artist Director Honors award during the September 27 ceremony.
With Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell now confirmed for the video, the “Patient Zero” teaser gave fans even more to speculate about before the full premiere.
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
