The globally renowned Call of Duty video game franchise is officially heading to the big screen, with Peter Berg and Taylor Sheridan confirmed to lead the live-action adaptation, Paramount Pictures and Activision said Thursday.
Berg will direct, with himself and Sheridan co-writing the script and producing. The acclaimed pair previously collaborated on the Oscar-nominated Hell or High Water and Wind River, showcasing their successful partnership.
While specific plot details remain under wraps, the film will draw from a game series that debuted in 2003 as a World War II simulation. Call of Duty has since sold over 500 million copies globally, expanding into modern warfare themes.
The news of Sheridan’s involvement in a new Paramount project came as a bit of a surprise to the industry. Earlier this week, reports said that the Yellowstone creator was leaving Paramount for an overall film and television deal at NBCUniversal valued at some $1 billion across five years. Representatives for NBCUniversal declined to comment.
The announcement also comes on the heels of mass layoffs at Paramount, just months after completing its $8 billion merger with Skydance. Paramount initiated roughly 1,000 of a planned 2,000 layoffs company-wide on Wednesday.
