After years of speculation and at least one false start, Activision’s blockbuster Call of Duty franchise is finally getting a movie adaptation. Paramount announced it has signed a deal with the Microsoft-owned publisher to develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on the massively popular first-person shooter series.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, the companies confirmed the partnership, though a director, cast, and release window have not yet been announced. Paramount Chairman and CEO David Ellison, a self-proclaimed “lifelong fan” of the games, said his studio is approaching the project with the “same disciplined, uncompromising commitment to excellence that guided our work on Top Gun: Maverick,” ensuring it meets the high standards of the franchise’s global fanbase.
This isn’t the first attempt to bring the franchise to theaters. Back in 2015, Activision Blizzard formed its own studio to create a cinematic universe, at one point attaching Sicario: Day of the Soldado director Stefano Sollima before the project ultimately fizzled out. Details on the new film’s plot are nonexistent, leaving it open whether the movie will adapt the series’ World War II roots or focus on popular sub-franchises like Modern Warfare or Black Ops. Activision President Rob Kostich stated the movie will “honor and expand upon what has made this franchise great in the first place.”
The deal marks another major move for Paramount under Ellison, who recently lured the Duffer Brothers from Netflix and secured a multi-billion dollar deal for UFC media rights. While the agreement is for a single film, sources told Variety that it includes the potential for a wider cinematic universe across film and TV. The Call of Duty series has sold over 500 million copies globally since its 2003 debut, representing a massive pre-installed audience for Paramount as Hollywood continues to find blockbuster success with video game adaptations.
Sources
- Paramount: Paramount Strikes Major Film Deal with Activision to Bring “Call of Duty” to the Big Screen
- Polygon: Paramount and Activision are teaming up on a Call of Duty movie
- Variety: ‘Call of Duty’ Movie in the Works From Paramount and Skydance
- Deadline: Paramount & Activision Team For ‘Call Of Duty’ Movie
