Author Max Brooks is making headlines for suggesting that Hollywood could help relay the message of scientists during the global pandemic.

It’s somewhat fitting, since the COVID-19 virus has the cinematic sweep of an apocalyptic film — replete with mysterious origins for the disease, global hysteria, and massive ramifications for humanity that will go down in history.

Brooks, whose 2006 book “World War Z” inspired a popular film of the same name, discussed the possibility of scientists and Hollywood to merge forces during a Comic-Con@Home panel. The annual event, Comic Con, usually takes place in San Diego every summer with huge attendance and star-studded panels that discuss various mediums of popular culture, although it originated from a focus on comic books.

The title of his panel was indeed very direct: “Zombies and Coronavirus: Planning for the Next Big Outbreak.” Mostly known for writing books on zombies, Brooks was also joined by a group of scientists for the panel. They recalled World War II, when the entertainment industry was enlisted to help support the war effort. Brooks specifically cited Why We Fight, a series of documentary films commissioned by the U.S. government during the war.

Brooks pointed out how there is a communication problem between medical experts and the public. The other panel members mostly agreed, citing obstacles such as a public that often mistrusts science and the general ignorance of how science functions.

Indeed, with a new virus like COVID-19, experts are literally learning about it in real time and can be prone to mistakes — such as their initial claim that face masks weren’t necessary — and can’t provide a clear timeline on a vaccine. This inevitably leads to some citizens to discount the validity of what they hear in the media about the pandemic.

Also on the panel, Shanna Ratnesar-Shumate of the University of Nebraska Medical Center, added that scientists aren’t usually the best at talking about science to the general public.

Does Brooks have a point or is it fanciful to believe people can take cues on serious subjects from Hollywood — which is often riddled with one-dimensional stereotypes, a lack of diversity that doesn’t represent reality, and simply imaginative scenarios? Hollywood is certainly powerful because people will always love to be entertained or to escape, for sure — but it’s not necessarily seen as a respectable way to glean knowledge. However, as Brooks pointed out, documentaries could be a more credible outlet.