Call of Duty Film Aims for a Grounded Take on War and Warriors

WHO:

Variety - Peter Berg, director of *Friday Night Lights* and *Lone Survivor*, is directing Paramount Pictures’ *Call of Duty* movie.

Coming Soon - Peter Berg described the film’s characters as “complicated humans.”

Variety - The film is based on the *Call of Duty* video game franchise.

WHAT:

Variety - Paramount Pictures is developing a *Call of Duty* movie based on the video game franchise.

Variety - Peter Berg said the movie will not feel like a comic-book tentpole and will not portray soldiers as superheroes.

Coming Soon - The movie will be a war film and will focus on themes from the game.

Variety - Berg said the film is about “the cost of war and having to be a warrior.”

Variety - Berg said, “These are not comic books or cartoon characters.”

WHY:

Coming Soon - Berg’s stated approach suggests the film will avoid an issue that has plagued video game adaptations: treating the story and its characters in a way that does not reflect the complexity of human beings.

HOW:

Coming Soon - Berg emphasized grounded war-story themes and “complicated humans” as the movie’s approach.

Variety - Berg said the film will portray soldiers without superhero or cartoon-like treatment.

(UPDATED October 26, 2026 22:11 UTC)

Peter Berg, director of *Friday Night Lights* and *Lone Survivor*, is directing Paramount Pictures’ movie based on the *Call of Duty* video game franchise. Berg says it will be a grounded war film, not a comic-book-style tentpole, and will portray soldiers as people rather than superheroes or cartoon characters. The story will focus on complicated human beings and the cost of war and having to be a warrior.