Just two days after the word went out that Paramount was interested in making a Call of Duty movie, the deal is officially done: The studio announced today that it has signed a deal with Activision "to bring the iconic Call of Duty universe to life on the big screen."
I'm going to paste this directly from the press blast, so everyone can fully appreciate the visceral, breathtaking (yes, that's also lifted verbatim from the announcement) hype:
"Under this milestone partnership, Paramount will develop, produce, and distribute a live-action feature film based on Call of Duty, designed to thrill its massive global fan base by delivering on the hallmarks of what fans love about the iconic series, while boldly expanding the franchise to entirely new audiences. Both companies are committed to honoring the brand’s rich narrative and distinctive style, promising an authentic and exciting experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike."
That's a bold promise, alright, and even setting aside obvious questions about the series' "rich narrative," I have to say that "based on Call of Duty" isn't the tightest underpinning I've ever run across. There's so much ground to cover—the series began in World War Two before moving into the modern era, some '60s Cold War shenanigans, and even outer space—and no indication as to where Paramount and Activision are going to come down: Activision president Rob Kostich said "the film will honor and expand upon what has made this franchise great in the first place," while Paramount CEO David Ellison promised 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."
I do wonder, though, if there's really an audience for this sort of thing at all, among the Call of Duty fanbase or war movie buffs in general. Given the common assumption that an awful lot of Call of Duty fans could not care less about the campaigns—they just want to get straight to the killstreaks—I'm not so confident that millions of players is going to translate into a comparable number of butts in seats. I also don't think the 'Call of Duty' brand brings much to the table for war movie fans who aren't into videogames.
And, as PC Gamer colleague Robin Valentine pointed out, films that have successfully targeted gamers tend to be aimed at the kids: According to Wikipedia, the five top-grossing game-based movies are Super Mario Bros, Minecraft, Sonic, Warcraft (which, box office receipts notwithstanding, sucked), and Pokemon. I don't think Captain Price and Gaz graphically doming a bunch of Russian ultra-nationalists really fits into that niche.
And what does a Call of Duty movie even look like? Regardless of the era they choose, I struggle to see how it ends up as anything more than a generic war movie with a brand attached. Call of Duty: Platoon, Call of Duty: Sicario, maybe Call of Duty: Downfall—okay, that might be fun but I don't see it landing as an "unforgettable cinematic event" for gamers. The reference to a "Call of Duty universe" suggests that the business bigwigs have a franchise in mind, something similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe perhaps, but of course it all has to start somewhere.
Oh, I suppose they could always do a zombie flick. Now that might be a good time.
Anyway, none of this is meant to come off as overly negative. I'm not a big Call of Duty guy but I do enjoy a good war movie, as long as it doesn't descend too deeply into jingoistic flag-waving and deep-state conspiracy nonsense—kind of a big ask these days, I know. Paramount's promise to approach the film "with the same disciplined, uncompromising commitment to excellence that guided our work on Top Gun: Maverick" doesn't necessarily set my mind at ease, but I remain guardedly hopeful that something reasonably entertaining will come out of it.
Given how these things sometimes work out, though, it could be a long time before we get even a hint of what's in store from this project: Never forget the Tom Hardy-starring Splinter Cell movie that was announced in 2012 and ultimately canned in 2024. Fingers crossed that Call of Duty: Johnny Got His Gun (or, you know, whatever) has a somewhat smoother path to the big screen.
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