©Courtesy of Activison

Paramount Pictures had just sealed a deal with Activision for a major live-action film based on the Call of Duty game franchise. While no director or cast has yet been associated with the project, it has been reported that Paramount nosed out a pitch by Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment to direct the movie. in 2015, Stefano Sollima had hoped to direct a film adaptation starring Tom Hardy and Chris Pine, but the project was never greenlighted.

According to a report by Puck News, Spielberg was passed over for the job because he wanted full creative control over both production and marketing. The iconic director is reportedly a great fan of combat-oriented video games such as Call of Duty, which has sold more than 500 million copies the world over since its debut in 2003. One of the best-selling video games ever, Call of Duty includes scenes from World War II as well as futuristic combats in outer space.

In a career spanning a half century, the 78-year-old Spielberg is one of the most prolific directors of all time, having created action blockbusters such as Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E. T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and the original Indiana Jones trilogy. He also directed dramatic films such as The Color Purple and Empire of the Sun. The iconic director won Academy Awards for Best Director for his work on Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan.

As Rich Stanton wrote in pcgamer.com: “Then there’s his direct link to the history of CoD itself. Spielberg came up with the concept and story for 1999’s Medal of Honor while immersed in WW2 research and after seeing his son play GoldenEye on the N64: the idea was a more serious and historical take on the military shooter. Spielberg would produce the first three games in the series before Activision poached key members of the MoH: Allied Assault team to form… Infinity Ward.”

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