Look alive, gamers: A Call of Duty movie is officially in the works at Paramount.
According to Variety, Paramount has signed a deal with video game publisher Activision, owned by Microsoft, to make a film based on the popular first-person shooter Call of Duty series.
Paramount will develop, produce, and distribute the live-action film based on the highly successful military-themed Call of Duty game series, which first debuted in 2003.
“As a lifelong fan of Call of Duty this is truly a dream come true. 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,” Paramount CEO, Skydance founder, and film producer David Ellison said in a statement.
“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. 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,” Activision president Rob Kostich added.
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Unlike many other popular video game titles (for better or worse), Call of Duty has yet to be adapted for film or television, so it will be interesting to see how Paramount tackles the franchise. It’s likely expectations will be high among fans.
While it’s unclear what the plot or focus of the film will be, sources told Variety that the deal includes the potential for future additional films and even a TV series. The deal between Paramount and Activision was struck following Paramount’s recent $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
The Call of Duty series comprises over 30 titles across mainline games, spinoffs, remakes, and mobile adaptations. Reports suggest the franchise has accumulated more than $35 billion in revenue since the first game was released over two decades ago.
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