Call of Duty Is Becoming a Movie — What Gamers Need to Know
So it’s official: Paramount Skydance and Activision are teaming up to bring Call of Duty to the big screen. On September 2, 2025, the newly merged studio Paramount, a Skydance Corporation announced a deal with Activision to develop and distribute a live-action CoD movie.
The only promise so far? That it will “honor the franchise’s distinctive style.” Beyond that, no cast, no director, and no release date have been confirmed.
Why Compare It to Top Gun: Maverick?
At first glance, comparing a military shooter to a nostalgia-driven Tom Cruise movie sounds bizarre. But here’s the connection: David Ellison, CEO of Skydance and now head of the merged Paramount Skydance, co-produced Top Gun: Maverick. That film grossed $1.49 billion worldwide and became Paramount’s biggest hit ever.
Ellison has called the CoD movie a “passion project”, and Paramount executives explicitly said they’ll approach it with the same “disciplined, uncompromising commitment to excellence” that made Maverick soar.
The Paramount–Skydance Merger
- Finalized August 7, 2025 for ~$8.4 billion.
- Created the new entity Paramount, a Skydance Corporation.
- Led by David Ellison (CEO & Chairman) with Jeff Shell as President.
- Structured into Studios, Streaming (Paramount+ / Pluto), and TV Media (CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon).
- Infused Paramount with $1.5B in capital and fresh leadership focus on tech-driven entertainment.
What It Means for CoD Fans
- Creative Involvement: Activision is directly involved to ensure lore accuracy.
- Movie Franchise Strategy Shifts: Paramount Skydance is betting on proven IP as a major driving force in reshaping the new Corporation—CoD, Street Fighter (just announced with Legendary & Capcom), Top Gun 3, and Star Trek.
- A-lister Potential: While speculative, Ellison’s Hollywood connections raise the possibility of recruiting big names. He has worked with Tom Cruise (Maverick, Mission: Impossible co-productions), but no casting has been confirmed.
Context: CoD Right Now
- Black Ops 7 launches Nov 14, 2025 (day-one Game Pass).
- Showcase on Sept 30, beta in early October.
- Preorder softness compared to past years, with Battlefield 6 leading in some regions.
- Cosmetic fatigue: carry-forward skins from BO6 won’t work in BO7.
Risks & Rewards
History shows video game movies can be billion-dollar hits (Mario, FNaF) or forgettable flops (Assassin’s Creed, Monster Hunter). With Ellison leading Paramount Skydance, the CoD movie has resources and ambition—but whether it can satisfy gamers and moviegoers remains to be seen.
Source Notes
- Reuters – Paramount & Activision confirm CoD movie
- GamesRadar – Comparison to Top Gun: Maverick
- Business Insider – Skydance–Paramount merger explained
- Reuters – Ellison outlines Paramount Skydance vision
- PC Gamer – CoD preorder wobble
- Box Office Mojo – Top Gun: Maverick gross
- Reuters – Paramount & Legendary announce Street Fighter film