The prolific writer and filmmaker has signed up for a major adaptation
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 official teaser
The creator behind mega-hit series Yellowstone is set to make a new movie based on a billion dollar video game franchise.
Despite recently deciding to walk away upon the expiration of his current deal with Paramount, the studio have still managed to enlist Taylor Sheridan to help pen the script for an upcoming Call of Duty movie.
The film will be the highly anticipated adaptation of the gaming series, which has earned studio Activision more than a billion dollars over the years.
According to Deadline, Sheridan has been hired alongside filmmaker Peter Berg. Berg will co-write with Sheridan while he will also serve as director.
It’s not the first time the pair, who are reportedly good friends, have worked together. They previously collaborated on the movie Hell or High Water, which received multiple Oscar nominations including Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay for Sheridan.
The news comes after it was revealed Sheridan will let his current contract with Paramount, that concentrates on running Yellowstone universe titles expire in 2028. The writer has now inked a fresh five-year agreement with NBCUniversal which kicks off on January 1, 2029.
Sheridan, 55, began his film and television career as an actor starring in hits such as Sons of Anarchy. He continues to captivate audiences with his shows for Paramount. This includes titles such as Mayor of Kingstown, Lioness, Tulsa King and Landman. He still has a number of Yellowstone universe shows in the works, with several spin-offs in the pipeline including The Dutton Ranch, The Madison, Y: Marshals.
Meanwhile, Berg has experience in action titles including American Primeval, Spenser Confidential and Battleship. It’s not yet known what story, characters or premise the Call of Duty will take but it has years of titles to draw inspiration from.
The first game was released back in 2003 and was set amid World War II. The series has since spawned multiple series subtitled Modern Warfare, Advanced Warfare, Black Ops with the seventh instalment set to release later this year and set in the near future.
It was announced back in September that Paramount Pictures and Activision had teamed up for a live-action Call of Duty movie. The companies are clearly hopeful to repeat the recent success of video game adaptations following the Super Mario Bros Movie, A Minecraft Movie and The Last of Us HBO series.
Fans still face a wait before discovering what kind of time period the film’s story will be based around. It could feature a completely original tale and characters. Rumours and reports of a possible Call of Duty movie have cropped up since 2009.
The games’ campaigns are known for their cinematic action and blockbuster like set pieces. As a result, Sheridan and Berg will have to meet a high bar to satisfy the player base.
The entire Yellowstone franchise can be streamed on Paramount+.
