It looks like we finally have a time period and setting for the Call of Duty movie that was announced in September of last year—and fans are having mixed feelings about it, as well as the fact that Taylor Sheridan, of Yellowstone fame, is the main writer attached to the project. It doesn’t help that co-writer Peter Berg famously said back in 2013 that gamers, particularly those who play Call of Duty, are “weak” and “pathetic.” Between that and the game that the writers are using as their starting point for the film, it seems like things in the Call of Duty fandom are feeling pretty tense right now.
Videos by ComicBook.com
While most other details about the movie have been kept close to the vest, it was revealed at the Call of Duty in Culture Panel at Fanatics Fest, which was promoting the October release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4, that the Call of Duty film would be set in the Modern Warfare universe, which was the first time that the games setting broke away from its original World War II time period. These new games were primarily set in Southwest Asia (formerly known as the Middle East), and centered around Captain John Price and Task Force 141. Other 141 familiar names are Commander MacTavish (Soap), Lieutenant Simon Riley (Ghost), Sergeant Gary Sanderson (Roach).
What Has Fans So Upset About These Choices?
People aren’t thrilled about the team that’s been put together to bring the story to life, especially after Berg’s comments about gamers, and Call of Duty players in particular, finding it hard to trust the mind behind the soapy Yellowstone franchise and someone who hates the medium they’re adapting to do the story justice. “Jesus, Taylor Sheridan? Spielberg was willing, and they went with Sheridan?” said one fan, calling out the fact that iconic director Steven Spielberg had expressed interest to Paramount in adapting the film, but was turned down in favor of Sheridan. Others noted that using Modern Warfare as the film’s setting would just result in another generic war movie, with little to distinguish it from other entries in the genre. One fan brought to light an interesting point, saying, “For me, if you’re adapting a game, you strip away anything that makes it a game and use what’s left as building blocks. Fallout had the world itself as building blocks. Mario had the recognizable characters. Not sure what Call of Duty has.”
The film is set to release on June 30, 2028, and all signs point to the first movie being the kick-off for a potential franchise, with Paramount having purchased a multiyear contract to the IP.
What are your thoughts on this new info about the Call of Duty movie? Do you think Sheridan and Berg will do justice to the story? What about the Modern Warfare setting? Let us know in the comments, and don’t forget to check out the ComicBook forum to see what other fans are saying.
I Know How the Call of Duty Movie Could Actually Work (It Needs Two Things)
