Earlier this week, Paramount announced it had acquired the rights to develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on Call of Duty. As of writing, it's currently unknown who will direct the major motion picture, but a new report claims that famed Hollywood director Steven Spielberg was once interested in creating his own Call of Duty movie before Activision sold the rights to Paramount.
After previous attempts from Activision to create a Call of Duty movie fell flat, the publisher revealed on September 2 that it would be partnering with Paramount to finally get the ball rolling on a live-action adaptation of the famous first-person shooter series. In a press release, Paramount called it a "landmark collaboration" that aims to bring the iconic Call of Duty universe to life on the big screen. As of writing, neither Paramount nor Activision has revealed whether or not the film will adapt one of Call of Duty's existing storylines, such as the Modern Warfare or Black Ops subseries, or if it will create an entirely new plot and characters.
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Steven Spielberg Wanted to Direct a Call of Duty Movie
Aside from the fact that a Call of Duty movie is finally happening, details such as a director, cast, plot, or release date remain a mystery. Fans are already throwing around big names to direct the project, such as Michael Bay, but it turns out that one of Hollywood's biggest names was eager to be attached to the project: Steven Spielberg. The director is well-known for some of the most famous movies of all time, including Jaws, E.T., Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, and many more. According to a report from Puck News, Spielberg pitched an idea to Activision to adapt Call of Duty into a live-action feature film, but the studio was supposedly "spooked" by Spielberg wanting full control and final cut over the project, which led to the studio partnering with Paramount instead.
Spielberg is supposedly a huge gamer, so Activision's dismissal of the iconic director definitely comes as a shock. However, the studio has a bit of a bumpy road when it comes to attempting to get a Call of Duty movie in production. An adaptation was first announced all the way back in 2015, with Sicario 2: Soldado's Stefano Sollima attached to direct. However, five years after its announcement, it became clear that Activision was no longer interested in developing a Call of Duty movie. The project was put on the back burner, but after all these years, it looks like it may finally be happening with the help of Paramount.
With two decades' worth of stories under its belt, it's no surprise that directors such as Spielberg were eager to adapt the series for the big screen. Activision is currently gearing up to launch yet another Black Ops game later this year after it found huge success with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 last year. The shooter was the first entry in the series to launch day one on Xbox Game Pass following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision in 2023. Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will also be available on the service when it launches on November 14.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 66 /100 Critics Rec: 34%
- Released
- November 14, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Drugs
- Developer(s)
- Treyarch, Raven Software
- Publisher(s)
- Activision
