While we don't know who will be directing the upcoming Call of Duty film, a new report claims that famed director Steven Spielberg was interested, but Activision went in a different direction.
Quoting three sources, Matthew Belloni at Puck News reports that Spielberg was extremely interested in directing a Call of Duty movie, with his production company Amblin joining with Universal for a pitch.
The report indicates that Activision ended up turning this pitch down because, as part of the deal, Spielberg would have full control over the production and marketing of the project, as well as having final cut rights.
By going with Paramount's offer, Activision has reportedly retained more of a say in various aspects of the film's production process.
Steven Spielberg and the history of Call of Duty
Spielberg shares an interesting connection with the Call of Duty franchise that goes back to its origins.
The iconic director is a massive fan of video games, founding Dreamworks Interactive with Microsoft in 1995, which would go on to developer the original Medal of Honor before being acquired by Electronic Arts in 2000.
As a result, early Medal of Honor drew heavily on Spielberg's work, particularly 1998's Saving Private Ryan.
Spielberg worked as a producter on Medal of Honor, and went on to write the story for Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, which was developed by 2015, Inc.
Several developers from 2015, Inc left the company and went on to found a studio called Infinity Ward in 2002, which was then brought in by Activision to develop a "Medal of Honor killer" named Call of Duty.
So, who will direct the Call of Duty film for Paramount?
It would've been neat to see Spielberg directing a Call of Duty film, with all the connections coming full circle.
Outside of that, he's one of the kings of the Hollywood blockbuster, and I would've been fascinated to see what kind of take he'd bring to Call of Duty, as well as what era of the series he'd be interested in.
Still, there are other directors whose work I've enjoyed that I do believe could craft a spectacle worth seeing, with some various pros and cons for each:
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Chad Stahelski
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Pros: He directed the John Wick films, worked as a second-unit director on movies like Captain America: Civil War, and even coordinated stunts for the Matrix films. The action choreography would be fantastic.
Cons: He's already attached to an increasingly-unwieldy number of upcoming projects, including (but not limited to) a remake of Highlander, a Ghost of Tsushima film, and a Rainbox Six movie.
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Pros: He directed the John Wick films, worked as a second-unit director on movies like Captain America: Civil War, and even coordinated stunts for the Matrix films. The action choreography would be fantastic.
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Joseph Kosinski
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Pros: He directed Top Gun: Maverick, which is easily standing strong of the best military movies of the 2020s (if not the best, for my money). Maverick was also a Paramount production, adding familiarity. He also directed Tron: Legacy and Oblivion.
Cons: Maverick aside, he has a bit less experience than many other directors.
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Pros: He directed Top Gun: Maverick, which is easily standing strong of the best military movies of the 2020s (if not the best, for my money). Maverick was also a Paramount production, adding familiarity. He also directed Tron: Legacy and Oblivion.
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Michael Bay
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Pros: He's Michael Bay. He understands explosions, helicopters, gunfire, and more explosions.
Cons: I wouldn't hold my breath on getting a nuanced story. He also hasn't worked on a big franchise since hanging up his Transformers hat.
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Pros: He's Michael Bay. He understands explosions, helicopters, gunfire, and more explosions.
No matter what, I'm extremely curious how this ends up panning out.
In the meantime, the next entry in the still-annual video game franchise is set to arrive this November, with Treyarch and Raven's Black Ops 7 notably being the first back-to-back sequel the series has ever seen, coming hot on the heels of the same studios' Black Ops 6 in 2024.
As for other Xbox properties receiving film and TV adaptations, the second season of the acclaimed Fallout TV series premieres on Prime Video this December, while work is continuing on Netflix's Gears of War movie.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is slated to launch on Nov. 14, 2025, across Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC (Battle.net, Steam, Xbox PC), PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.
