We're in a veritable golden age of video game movie adaptations, and Activision's $30 billion "Call of Duty" franchise looks to be the next big name in line for the big-screen treatment. A "Call of Duty" movie is now officially in the works, Paramount Skydance and Activision announced Tuesday (September 2). It’s exactly the kind of project you’d expect from the studio behind "Top Gun: Maverick" and the wildly successful "Sonic the Hedgehog" trilogy.
As part of the deal, Paramount will develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on the “Call of Duty” universe, which spans more than 30 mainline games released since 2003. Activision is on board as a creative partner for the film. Both companies said they remain committed to honoring the brand's "rich narrative and distinctive style" for fans.
"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," said Paramount chairman and CEO David Ellison in a press release.
The news comes just a few days after Ellison, apparently an avid gamer himself, called Call of Duty the next video game series in Paramount's crosshairs following the success of the "Sonic the Hedgehog" films.
“As a lifelong fan of Call of Duty, this is truly a dream come true,” Ellison said in Tuesday's press release. "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."
Activision President Rob Kostich called Paramount a "fantastic partner" to bring "Call of Duty" to the silver screen. "Our shared goal is quite simple — to create an unforgettable blockbuster movie experience that our community loves, and one that also excites and inspires new fans of the franchise," he added.
The valuation of the new deal between Paramount Skydance and Activision has not been disclosed, but it's likely to be a pretty penny. In 2023, Microsoft acquired Activision, which publishes "Call of Duty" along with other popular gaming franchises like "Warcraft," "Diablo," and "Candy Crush," in a deal worth $69 billion.
What we know about the 'Call of Duty' movie
Though Paramount and Activision confirmed a "Call of Duty" movie is officially in the works, they didn't reveal much in the way of what to expect. It's unclear what games or storylines will be adapted, though given that the "Modern Warfare" and "Black Ops" sub-franchises are among the most popular in the series, those seem to be the most likely candidates.
As of yet, there's no timeline for when the film will hit theaters. Before we get a release date, Paramount will have to pin down a writer, story direction, script and talent, all processes that are likely to take quite some time. With that in mind, the "Call of Duty" movie is likely several years away from arriving in theaters.
Something exciting to note is that it could be the jumping-off point for a "Call of Duty" cinematic universe. According to Variety, sources with inside knowledge of the Paramount–Activision deal claim it leaves room for the "Call of Duty" universe to branch out into both additional films and television. Though obviously, future projects will hinge on how the movie performs.
Given how popular "Call of Duty" is, the adaptation is already starting on solid footing. If done right, the film has the potential to resonate with audiences on a huge scale and become another global phenomenon like we saw with "A Minecraft Movie" and "The Super Mario Bros. Movie." Though it could also go the way of "Borderlands" or "Until Dawn" as a throwback to the painfully awful video game adaptations of decades past.
How Paramount develops the "Call of Duty" movie in the months and years ahead remains to be seen, but it's clear the studio has a prime opportunity before it to draw a massive audience.
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