Call of Duty Film Adaption Said to Be a 'Priority' at Paramount, Negotiations on to Acquire Rights

The next Call of Duty game is confirmed for November, but a film based on the popular first-person shooter franchise could be a reality at some point in the future, too. Paramount Pictures is said to be looking to acquire film rights for Call of Duty. The studio is believed to be negotiating with Microsoft and Activision amidst Hollywood's push to get more popular video game IPs on the screen.

Paramount After Call of Duty Film Rights

Two sources familiar with the matter told Puck's Matthew Belloni that Paramount boss David Ellison was pushing to acquire film rights for Call of Duty. Belloni, a noted Hollywood insider, reported in his newsletter last week that Call of Duty was a “priority” for Ellison and studio chiefs, Dan Goldberg and Josh Greenstein.

According to Belloni, no talent is attached to the potential project yet, but negotiations for the rights are ongoing. Ellison is reportedly looking to adapt game franchises that appeal to younger film audiences. Paramount also produces Sonic the Hedgehog movies, which have collectively grossed over $1 billion at the global box office. Ellison is said to be looking to grow the company's video game IP footprint. The executive reportedly also wants to put a Street Fighter movie in theatres from its pending output deal with Legendary Pictures.

A Call of Duty movie adaptation has long been in talks since Activision announced a film and TV division back in 2015. The publisher planned to launch a Call of Duty “cinematic universe” which would include a series of films and possibly TV adaptations. Reports of Call of Duty film scripts and attached talent have surfaced over the years, but it' safe to say the Call of Duty cinematic universe didn't kick on. Plans likely further changed when Microsoft acquired Activision in 2023.

Warner Bros.' A Minecraft Movie is the year's third-highest grossing film
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.

Video Game Film and TV Adaptations

However, with the recent success of video game film and TV adaptations like HBO's The Last of Us, Warner Bros. and Legendary's A Minecraft Movie, and Universal's The Super Mario Bros. Movie, studios are pushing to turn popular gaming IPs into movies.

Earlier this year, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said there were going to be more films and TV shows based on Xbox first-party games. The Xbox parent found success on the film front with A Minecraft Movie and scored a hit with the Fallout TV series on Amazon Prime Video. A Call of Duty game at some point in the future isn't an unlikely prospect.

Not all video game properties have been successful as films and TV shows. Microsoft's Halo series received mixed reactions from fans and critics and was cancelled in 2024 after a two-season run. Take-Two's 2024 Borderlands move, too, was a critical and commercial failure.