Steven Spielberg Reportedly Wanted to Direct the CALL OF DUTY Movie But Activision Wasn't On Board
It looks like Call of Duty almost had one of the greatest filmmakers of all time behind the camera. Steven Spielberg reportedly pitched his vision for a Call of Duty movie, but Activision passed on the idea because the director wanted full control of the project.
According to Puck News, Spielberg, who’s apparently a big fan of the game, teamed up with his Amblin production company and Universal Pictures to bring a pitch directly to Activision. On paper, this sounded like a dream collaboration, but the deal came with conditions Activision wasn’t comfortable with.
"But with Spielberg comes the famous Spielberg Deal, which includes top-of-market economics, final cut, and full control over production and marketing," Puck reports. This reportedly "spooked" Activision, who ultimately went with another pitch from Paramount, which offered the publisher more control.
So instead of Spielberg’s vision, the project landed at Paramount, though there’s no director or cast officially attached yet. Paramount CEO David Ellison is promising fans that the film will be handled with the same energy and precision that made Top Gun: Maverick such a success.
"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.”
"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," he added.
As for Spielberg, he’s moving forward with a new sci-fi project written by his longtime collaborator David Koepp, best known for Jurassic Park. The film stars Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth, and it’s set to hit theaters next summer.
The Call of Duty movie doesn’t have a release date yet, but the fact that Spielberg wanted in shows just how cinematic this franchise could be on the big screen.