After many years of disappointment when it comes to film adaptations of video games, the last few years have seen something of a reversal in fortune for the genre. The likes of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and its sequel, “A Minecraft Movie,” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s” have all found financial success.
So it shouldn’t come as a major surprise that other studios are now working on their own movies based on hit video game franchises. One such example is “Call of Duty,” which now has a release date after an announcement was made at CinemaCon this week.
“Call of Duty” Movie Will Hit Cinemas in 2028
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount Pictures announced that an adaptation of the popular first-person shooter franchise was due to launch in cinemas on June 30, 2028.
The studio also unveiled some of the people who are working on the project. These include Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, and filmmaker Pete Berg.
The announcement confirms that Sheridan is acting as screenwriter for the “Call of Duty” film, while Berg will direct. Meanwhile, David Glasser of Sheridan’s 101 Studios will also act as one of the producers of the film.
There’s currently no information on cast or if the film will adapt a particular game from the series.
“I told everyone we were only going to make a movie if it’s right. In David Ellison, we found that partnership,” said head of Activision Rob Kostich. “We want to make sure that the authenticity of it is captured on a human level so that it feels really real and infuse that with epic scope.”
“The Legend of Zelda” Live Action Gets Main Cast
“Call of Duty” is not the only major video game adaptation that is currently in the works. Nintendo recently revealed the cast for its “The Legend of Zelda” project. This marks the second movie adaptation from Nintendo in recent years following the success of “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” in 2023.
The Japanese company announced that Bo Bragason and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth will play Zelda and Link respectively,
Ainsworth is probably best known for his role alongside Bryan Cranston in “Everything’s Going to Be Great,” while Bragason was part of the cast of the 2024 comedy-horror flick “The Radleys”
“I am very much looking forward to seeing both of them on the big screen,” said series creator Shigeru Miyamoto. The film will be released on May 7, 2027.
Wes Slate, who previously directed the “Maze Runner” trilogy and “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” is set to take on directing duties.
Since making its debut in 1986, “The Legend of Zelda” franchise has amassed tens of millions of sales across more than over 20 games and spin-offs, many of which have received critical acclaim. The most recent in the mainline series is the critically acclaimed and commercially successful “The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom,” which launched on the Nintendo Switch.
