A recent Puck report claimed that Paramount Pictures was hoping to get a feature adaptation of incredibly popular first-person shooter military video game series, Call of Duty, up and running after entering talks to acquire the rights, and we now have confirmation that a live-action COD movie is heading to theaters.
According to THR, Activision and Paramount have "inked a deal that will see the studio develop, produce and distribute a live-action film based on the game franchise."
Call of Duty is by far the most widely-played video game series in the world, so it was probably only a matter of time before a major movie studio nabbed the rights after the recent success of a number of video game adaptations such as Super Mario Brothers, A Minecraft Movie, and The Last of Us HBO series.
The games originally played out in a World War II setting, before Infinity Ward's Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was released in 2007. There have been numerous sequels and spin-offs since, with the latest title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, scheduled to be released later this year.
This news has obviously been met with excitement from fans, although there is also some scepticism, as gamers wait to find out a little more about which games/characters/setting the movie focuses on.
“As a lifelong fan of Call of Duty this is truly a dream come true,” Paramount CEO David Ellison said in a statement. “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,” he continued. “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.”
“Throughout its history, Call of Duty has captured our imagination with incredible action and intense stories that have brought millions of people together from around the world, and that focus on making incredible Call of Duty games remains unwavering,” Activision president Rob Kostich added. “With Paramount, we have found a fantastic partner who we will work with to take that visceral, breathtaking action to the big screen in a defining cinematic moment. The film will honor and expand upon what has made this franchise great in the first place, and we cannot wait to get started. 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.”