Spielberg’s Call of Duty Movie Dream Fell Apart at the Activision Negotiating Table

A Call of Duty film directed by Steven Spielberg almost became reality, but the project collapsed after Activision rejected the director’s proposal over his sweeping creative demands.

According to a report from Puck News on September 4, Spielberg—himself a dedicated player of the hit franchise—was eager to adapt the blockbuster video game series for the big screen. Partnering with Universal’s dealmaker Jimmy Horowitz, his team pitched the idea to Activision. But the company balked at his terms, which included top-tier profit participation and full control over the final cut, production, and marketing.

Activision instead aligned with producer David Ellison, ensuring the company maintained tighter control and entrusting production to Paramount Pictures.

Industry watchers note that with Call of Duty’s immense global popularity, a movie adaptation has felt long overdue. The franchise’s next entry, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7, launches November 14, developed primarily by Treyarch with campaign support from Raven Software. Positioned against EA’s Battlefield 6, the title promises fresh innovations and will release on PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, and Xbox One.