Paramount has signed a film deal with Microsoft-owned video game publisher Activision to bring its “Call of Duty” franchise to the big screen.
Under the partnership, Paramount will develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on the “Call of Duty” universe, which encompasses more than 30 mainline games released since the original “CoD” debuted in 2003. The valuation of the mega deal was not disclosed.
Sources tell Variety that, while the pact is specifically focused on making one blockbuster “Call of Duty” movie, the deal encompasses the potential for Paramount to expand the “CoD” universe across film and TV.
There are no details yet on what the focus of the “Call of Duty” film will be, though the video game franchise is at its core a series of first-person shooter military titles. Many of the games have interconnected storylines and characters, like the “Black Ops” sub series from developer Treyarch, which is about to release “Black Ops 7” this fall.
The “Call of Duty” pact comes a month after Paramount closed its $8 billion merger with David Ellison’s Skydance and is the latest in a line of splashy moves. Since the merger was approved, the company lured “Stranger Things” creators the Duffer Brothers over from Netflix and shelled out $7.7 billion to become the home of Ultimate Fighting Championship events for seven years.
Now settled within Microsoft Gaming, Activision was itself part of a mega-merger just two years ago, when Microsoft completed its $68.7 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard, which gave the tech company control over “Call of Duty” and many other popular video game titles.
For years, Hollywood struggled to crack the code on video game adaptations, but more recently it has found success, producing hit screen adaptations of “Mortal Kombat,” “Super Mario Bros.” and, this year, “A Minecraft Movie.” Paramount has previously scored with its adaptation of “Sonic the Hedgehog,” which has spawned sequels and spinoff streaming shows.
With “Call of Duty,” it gets access to not just the most successful video game franchises of all-time, one that has sold 500 million copies globally and drew $30 billion in revenue as of 2022, but also a video game franchise that has not previously been adapted for film or TV.
“As a lifelong fan of ‘Call of Duty’ this is truly a dream come true,” Ellison, who serves as Paramount’s chairman and CEO, 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.”
“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 said in a statement. “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.”
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