Paramount Pictures in Talks To Bring CALL OF DUTY To The Big Screen
Paramount Pictures, the studio behind blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and Top Gun, is reportedly eyeing one of the biggest video game franchises in history.
According to a new report, Paramount is in active talks to acquire the movie rights to Call of Duty, potentially setting the stage for a massive live-action adaptation.
Video game movies and shows have come a long way in recent years. While there are still a few misses, the genre has proven itself with both critical acclaim and box office gold.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie became a global hit, The Last of Us and Fallout wowed television audiences, and even though Minecraft: The Movie wasn’t a critics’ darling, it’s still one of 2025’s biggest earners. Now it looks like Call of Duty could be the next franchise to join that growing list.
A report from Puck revealed that Paramount is currently in talks to secure the rights, although the project is still in the earliest stages. There’s no word yet on whether the film will directly adapt one of the games or tell an original story, but it’s an intriguing development given the scope of the series.
War movies haven’t exactly dominated the box office lately. A24’s Warfare pulled in just $33 million on a $20 million budget, but Call of Duty brings with it an instantly recognizable brand and decades of built-in fans.
The franchise began in 2003 with the original Call of Duty, a gritty World War II shooter that quickly made its mark in gaming. Its sequels expanded the battlefield, but Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare changed everything.
With its modern-day setting, iconic characters like Captain Price, a cinematic single-player campaign, and groundbreaking multiplayer, it redefined what a first-person shooter could be. Later entries like World at War introduced fan-favorite modes like Zombies, while reboots and returns to WWII kept the series fresh.
Of course, fans often criticize the franchise’s short campaigns, but there’s no shortage of characters, settings, and story ideas that could translate into a compelling action film.
Interestingly, earlier this year Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer addressed the idea of adapting Call of Duty for film.
"The video game business is successful by itself. It doesn’t need this outlet," he said. "Let’s never turn this into something where every franchise has to have a game or a movie or a TV show. It’s got to be about the creative outlet that linear media offers for our franchises."
Spencer went on to say: "We’re learning and growing through this process, which is giving us more confidence that we should do more. It’s hard for me to tease any specific thing, because while I know all of these things that are in the creative process, I want to give them time and I don’t want to put any undue pressure on them."
He also stressed that any adaptation has to be in the right hands: "A team having a unique point of view around what they want to get done and finding a partner that really understands the franchise and the core of what these worlds are."
Call of Duty isn’t just another shooter, it’s a pop culture juggernaut that has defined online gaming for two decades. If Paramount seals the deal, it could lead to a high-octane war epic that balances spectacle with the iconic moments that made the series legendary.
What do you think, should Paramount adapt Modern Warfare, return to WWII, or tell an all-new story set in the Call of Duty universe?