Peter Berg Promises His ‘Call of Duty’ Movie Will Have a Real Soul Beneath the Firepower
Video game adaptations have become some of Hollywood’s hottest properties, but few carry as much weight as ‘Call of Duty’. After Activision and Paramount struck a deal in September 2025, the long-awaited live-action film finally began moving forward, with Peter Berg directing from a script he’s writing alongside ‘Yellowstone’ creator Taylor Sheridan. Berg, Sheridan, David Glasser and Rob Kostich are producing.
The project has steadily taken shape since. Paramount announced at CinemaCon 2026 that the movie will hit theaters on June 30, 2028, a date that coincides with the 25th anniversary of the original ‘Call of Duty’, released as a PC game in 2003. Then, at Fanatics Fest in New York City, Berg confirmed the story will be set in the ‘Modern Warfare’ universe.
Now the director has offered the clearest hint yet at what kind of war movie fans can expect. Speaking with ComicBook during the press tour for his upcoming World War II drama ‘The Mosquito Bowl’, Berg made it clear he isn’t interested in a straightforward popcorn shooter.
“There’s violence – but underneath it I think the game, and the creators of the game, are really looking at the cost of war, the cost of having to be a warrior who’s, for whatever reason, chosen to put himself between real danger and the rest of us,” Berg told ComicBook. He added that the film will carry the burden these soldiers bear.
Berg pointed directly to the ‘Modern Warfare’ games as inspiration. He praised characters like Captain Price, Soap, Ghost and Alex, describing them as “complicated humans” rather than cartoon heroes, and said the franchise has a real soul beneath its action.
Peter Berg says that his ‘CALL OF DUTY’ movie will look at the “cost of having to be a warrior.” “There’s violence – but underneath it I think the game, and the creators of the game, are really looking at the cost of war, the cost of having to be a warrior who’s, for whatever reason, chosen to put himself between real danger and the rest of us.” (Source: @ComicBook)
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 25, 2026
The director also offered a hint about tone. He suggested ‘Call of Duty’ will likely be less graphically violent than ‘The Mosquito Bowl’, but stressed it will still carry a strong sense of consequence. He said the idea of duty itself sits at the center of that vision.
That framing positions the adaptation as a character-driven war story. It’s familiar territory for Berg, whose military films include ‘Lone Survivor’ and ‘The Kingdom’, and ‘The Mosquito Bowl’ marks his first war film since ‘Lone Survivor’ in 2013. Berg has indicated that work on ‘Call of Duty’ will begin taking shape after that film’s release.
Berg has a fitting creative partner in Sheridan. Beyond ‘Yellowstone’, the writer created the military-espionage thriller series ‘Lioness’ and wrote ‘Sicario’, giving him plenty of experience with stories about the human toll of conflict.
Director Peter Berg revealed today at @FanaticsFest the @CallOfDutyMovie is set in the Modern Warfare universe. In theaters June 30, 2028. https://t.co/CpdFX7kI9z
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) July 18, 2026
Some outlets have reported that Berg and Sheridan have now finalized the story. Production details, however, remain limited, with no production start date announced yet. No cast has been announced, but a few stars have already expressed interest. ‘Obsession’ star Inde Navarrette has said she would join the film if invited, and Ray Nicholson has also voiced interest in appearing.
Berg’s involvement has also stirred some debate among players. In a 2013 interview, he was sharply critical of some ‘Call of Duty’ fans, a comment that resurfaced as he took on the adaptation. His latest remarks suggest he’s now approaching the franchise with real respect for its storytelling.
The film represents a major franchise play for Paramount. ‘Call of Duty’ remains one of gaming’s biggest properties, with more than 500 million copies sold, and the partnership leaves room to expand into more movies and TV. If Berg delivers on his promise of a soulful, grounded war story, ‘Call of Duty’ could stand apart from typical video game adaptations when it arrives in 2028.
What are you most hoping to see in the Call of Duty movie?
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