After locking and loading an upcoming live-action Call of Duty film, Paramount Pictures and Activision have announced that it will be set in the Modern Warfare universe.
Director and co-writer Peter Berg, whose credits include Hancock and Friday Night Lights, took to the stage at Fanatic Fest in New York City to share the news, with Taylor Sheridan (Landman, Yellowstone) also tapped to write the screenplay. Plot details remain under wraps, but the first-person shooter sub-series largely focuses on Captain John Price and his Task Force 141 members as they take down terrorists around the globe to defeat mastermind Vladimir Makarov.
Per a joint statement from the two studios, the feature promises “an authentic and exciting experience for longtime fans and newcomers alike” by “honouring the brand’s rich narrative and distinctive style.” Paramount CEO David Ellison, a self-proclaimed lifelong Call of Duty fan, previously cited Top Gun: Maverick as the guidepost for the project, which he calls ” a dream come true”.
“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,” he said. “I can promise that we are resolute in our mission to deliver a cinematic experience that honours the legacy of this one-in-a-million brand – thrilling longtime fans of Call of Duty while captivating a whole new generation.”
Considering the overwhelming commercial and critical success of the Sonic the Hedgehog films, it’s no surprise Paramount is looking to capture lightning in a bottle again by tapping into a franchise that has sold over 500 million copies globally. The live-action Call of Duty film is slated for release on 30 June 2028, coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the series, which will next take the Modern Warfare action war to South Korea. Unlike its predecessors, it won’t launch day one on the Xbox Game Pass.
The official blurb for Modern Warfare 4 reads, “Private Park, a young Korean grunt soldier, is thrust into combat for the first time, as he and his squad are forced to overcome impossible odds in a gripping zero-to-hero journey. Captain Price returns and forms a rogue alliance, operating outside the system and apart from the Task Force 141 team he once called his own.”
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
