A $30 Billion Franchise Heads to Hollywood
Paramount has reached a deal with Activision to produce a live-action film based on Call of Duty, the best-selling military shooter series that has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide and generated $30 billion in revenue since 2003.
According to Variety, agreement gives Paramount development, production and distribution rights for the first Call of Duty movie, with options for sequels and television spinoffs. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Storylines Under Consideration?
No director, cast or release date has been announced. Studio executives and Activision leadership are evaluating several game arcs, including:
- Modern Warfare — follows Captain Price’s counterterrorism unit across global battlefields.
- Black Ops — a Cold War spy thriller featuring CIA operative Alex Mason and villain Raul Menendez.
Both are regarded as the franchise’s most cinematic storylines and are leading candidates to serve as the basis for the first film.
Paramount Positions for Franchise Expansion
“This is an opportunity to bring one of the great action series in video games to theaters,” Paramount CEO David Ellison said. “We take seriously the responsibility of adapting a property with such a loyal global audience.”
Activision president Rob Kostich added that the companies intend to “deliver the same intensity, scale and storytelling that have made Call of Duty what it is.”
The move follows Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance, which solidified Ellison’s leadership and signaled a push for large-scale franchises. Since the merger, Paramount has signed “Stranger Things” creators Matt and Ross Duffer and spent $7.7 billion to secure exclusive UFC broadcast rights.
Game Adaptations Are Gaining Ground
Although Hollywood struggled for years with video game adaptations, recent box-office hits suggest the market has turned. Paramount’s Sonic the Hedgehog films have earned more than $725 million worldwide, and Universal’s Super Mario Bros. Movie grossed over $1.3 billion.
The Call of Duty series spans more than 30 mainline games, ranging from World War II campaigns to near-future conflicts and covert operations. It has never been adapted for film or television — until now.