A lot of networks are having success with bringing video games to live-action format. Twisted Metal, The Last of Us, Fallout, and Super Mario Bros. are all winning in different ways, both on the small and big screens. Now, Paramount is teaming up with Activision to bring another popular gaming universe to life with a Call of Duty film deal. Peter Berg is set to write, direct, and produce the film alongside Taylor Sheridan.
Berg said that this film will be about what it means to be in war and the consequences of that, noting that the characters in this universe are not of the comic book or superhero vein.
“If you really look at the missions and the storylines and the characters like Captain Price, Soap, Ghost and Alex, these are complicated humans,” Berg told ComicBook. “These are not, and no disrespect, cartoon characters or comic books. These are very nuanced storylines; there’s a real soul to the Modern Warfare universe. Yes, there’s violence and hardware and equipment and killing. But underneath it, I think the game, and the creators of the game, are really looking at the cost of war, the cost of having to be a warrior who’s, for whatever reason, chosen to put himself between real danger and the rest of us, and the burden that these guys carry.”
For those who somehow aren’t familiar, Call of Duty is a first-person shooter military video game that launched in 2003. The next title up is Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, which will arrive in November. There are over 100 million monthly active Call of Duty players across platforms.
According to a press release, “Paramount will develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on Call of Duty, designed to thrill its massive global fan base by delivering on the hallmarks of what fans love about the iconic series, while boldly expanding the franchise to entirely new audiences.”
And this film will take place in the Modern Warfare universe, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The coolest part of this Paramount and Activision deal to make a live-action Call of Duty film is that the former’s CEO is a gamer.
“As a lifelong fan of Call of Duty this is truly a dream come true,” said David Ellison, Chairman and CEO of Paramount, a Skydance Corporation. “From the first Allied campaigns in the original Call of Duty, through Modern Warfare and Black Ops, I’ve spent countless hours playing this franchise that I absolutely love. Being entrusted by Activision and players worldwide to bring this extraordinary storytelling universe to the big screen is both an honor and a responsibility that we don’t take lightly. We’re approaching this film with the same disciplined, uncompromising commitment to excellence that guided our work on Top Gun: Maverick, ensuring it meets the exceptionally high standards this franchise and its fans deserve. I can promise that we are resolute in our mission to deliver a cinematic experience that honors the legacy of this one-in-a-million brand – thrilling longtime fans of Call of Duty while captivating a whole new generation.”
Right now, things are in the early stages of development, so there’s no casting news. The live-action Call of Duty film is slated for a June 30, 2028 release date.
Originally published on September 2, 2025.