Taylor Swift Shares Making of Patient Zero in Expanded Video

Taylor Swift shared a look behind the scenes of her “Patient Zero” music video on Saturday (Oct. 3).

The 36-year-old pop superstar posted a link on her Instagram Stories directing fans to the “Patient Zero (Expanded Video)” on Apple Music. The eight-minute clip documents the creation of the video, featuring Swift directing scenes, breaking down her creative choices, and interacting with stars Dakota Johnson and Colin Farrell.

“I’ve been wanting to make this video my entire life,” Swift says at the beginning of the clip, referencing sleek, monochromatic films. “You don’t quite understand the world, and you don’t understand what’s wrong with this couple until you do. Meets ghost story, meets true crime, meets a lot of the plot lines I’ve seen on Dateline.”

Directed by Swift, “Patient Zero” premiered on Sept. 27 at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. The video features Johnson as a woman dealing with failing health while married to a character played by Farrell. Swift appears as the ghost of Farrell’s past wife who warns Johnson about her husband and exposes his past.

Apple Music’s Patient Zero (Video Bundle) includes the track, the original video, and the eight-minute behind-the-scenes version.

In the expanded video, Johnson discusses her experience working with Swift on the project.

“Sometimes when you work with your friends it can really go south, and it will affect your friendship,” the Verity star says. “But she and I work really well together.”

Footage shows Swift and Johnson joking around on set while preparing for an underwater sequence in an outdoor pool overlooking Los Angeles wearing matching black swimsuits.

The behind-the-scenes clip also captures Swift directing Johnson and Farrell, alongside praising cinematographer Emmanuel “El Chivo” Lubezki.

“His name is Chivo. They call him that because it means goat, ’cause he’s the f—king goat,” Swift says.

Farrell characterizes his role in the video as a successful, ambitious “narcissist” and “psychopath,” and he offers praise for Swift’s directing work.

“The joy she has with her creative engine, which is a really significant creative engine, the joy she has with it is really quite humbling, actually. It’s very moving,” the Fantastic Beasts actor says.

“Patient Zero” arrived this week alongside three other new songs as part of an unexpected release connected to Swift’s album The Life of a Showgirl. The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore includes the bonus track “Cleveland!” as well as “Pink Clouding” and “Babylon.”