Steven Spielberg Reportedly Wanted to Direct a Call of Duty Movie — But Activision Said No

Image: Steven Spielberg, Call of Duty.

Steven Spielberg, the legendary filmmaker behind Jurassic Park and the Indiana Jones films, reportedly had his sights set on bringing one of his favorite video game franchises, Call of Duty, to the big screen.

According to a report from Puck’s Matthew Belloni, Spielberg’s team pitched a full vision for the adaptation directly to Activision, but the deal never materialized — and the reason might surprise you.

Reports claim Activision got “spooked” by the terms Spielberg’s camp put forward. These included top‑of‑market economics, final cut approval, and full control over production and marketing.

For a studio, those demands mean handing over significant creative and commercial authority — something Activision, now under Microsoft’s ownership, wasn’t willing to do. Instead, the publisher later sold the film rights to Paramount, where they could retain more influence over the project’s direction.

Spielberg’s interest wasn’t just a passing thought. He’s known to be a passionate gamer, with his son previously revealing that the director is a big fan of shooters, especially Call of Duty. He also has history in the gaming space, having created the Medal of Honor franchise and served as an executive producer on the Halo TV series. While he’s never directed a video game adaptation, his 2018 film Ready Player One was widely seen as a love letter to gaming culture.

As for the Call of Duty movie itself, details remain scarce. Paramount has confirmed the project is in early development but hasn’t announced a writer, director, or cast yet.