Peter Berg Draws a Hard Line on What the ‘Call of Duty’ Movie Won’t Be

For years, a ‘Call of Duty’ movie sounded like one of those projects that lived only in rumor threads and wishful fan casting. When Skydance, Paramount’s new owner, announced the deal, sources told Variety the focus was a single film written by Taylor Sheridan, with room to expand across film and TV. Since then, the biggest open question has been which version of the franchise would reach the big screen.

That question got an answer this summer. At a “Call of Duty in Culture” panel at Fanatics Fest in NYC, director and co-writer Peter Berg took the stage and revealed the film will be based on the ‘Modern Warfare’ branch of the games. The movie is set for release on June 30, 2028, which coincides with the 25th anniversary of the original game.

Now Berg is explaining what that choice means for the tone, and he is pushing back on a comparison that gaming adaptations often invite. In a conversation with Variety, the director said the film will not feel like a superhero movie, because the story is about “the cost of war and having to be a warrior.”

“If you really look at the missions and the storylines and the characters like Captain Price, Soap, Ghost and Alex, these are complicated humans,” Berg said. “These are not, and no disrespect, cartoon characters or comic books.” He went on to describe “very nuanced storylines” and “a real soul to the ‘Modern Warfare’ universe.”

He didn’t dodge the franchise’s reputation, either. Berg acknowledged the violence, hardware, equipment and killing, but argued that underneath it, the game and its creators are looking at the burden carried by those who put themselves “between real danger and the rest of us.”

The names he mentioned are worth noting. During the panel, Berg referenced Captain Price, Soap, Gaz, Alex Keller, General Shepherd and Ghost, though he did not explicitly confirm that all of them will appear in the film. In the games, Price is played by Barry Sloane, Gaz by Elliot Knight and Soap by Kevin McKidd.

The pitch also fits the people behind the camera. Berg’s credits include ‘Hancock’ and ‘Friday Night Lights.’ He also directed ‘Mile 22’ and ‘Spenser Confidential,’ while Sheridan is best known for creating ‘Yellowstone’ and its spin-offs. Pairing that duo with a grounded military story suggests Paramount wants something closer to a war drama than a franchise spectacle.

Not everyone is sold on the direction. Fan reactions have been mixed, with some excited to see Price and Ghost on the big screen while others are disappointed that the franchise is once again leaning on ‘Modern Warfare’ instead of trying a different setting. PC Gamer’s take was skeptical as well, joking that the usual ‘Modern Warfare’ crew tends to commit a lot of war crimes in the course of their work. That tension is exactly what Berg seems to be answering by insisting the material carries emotional weight.

There is still plenty of uncertainty about how closely the movie will follow the games. It remains unclear whether the film will faithfully adapt existing stories or simply use the notable characters, and production is expected to begin in 2027, with casting the next major step. Complicating matters, Price and Ghost are British characters.

The timing also keeps the franchise in the spotlight. ‘Modern Warfare 4,’ which launches this fall, features a war that breaks out between North and South Korea. Whether the film will tie into that story is unknown, but the game’s return gives Berg’s pitch some extra visibility.

For now, the message is clear: Berg wants audiences to see soldiers carrying real consequences rather than action figures in tactical gear. With casting still unannounced and a 2028 release date locked in, fans will have a long wait to see whether the movie lives up to that promise.