A live-action Call of Duty film is on the way

Call of Duty's makers have struck a deal to turn the video game into a live-action film.

The series, launched in 2003, is one of the most popular in the world and regularly tops the annual best-seller charts on consoles and PC.

Publisher Activision has announced it will work with movie studio Paramount to turn the game into a blockbuster "designed to thrill its massive global fan base".

There has been no indication of potential storylines or cast members, but Paramount CEO David Ellison said: "As a lifelong fan of Call of Duty this is truly a dream come true."

Mr Ellison said he had spent "countless hours" playing the Call of Duty games, and that bringing them to the big screen was "an honor and a responsibility that we don't take lightly".

Activision president Rob Kostich said the movie would aim to use the same imagination seen in the games to "create an unforgettable blockbuster movie experience that our community loves, and one that also excites and inspires new fans of the franchise".

There have been 23 main entries in the Call of Duty series, with each set in a different time period and a storyline loosely inspired by real-life conflicts and situations.

According to Activision, more than 500m games in the series have been sold since it launched.

It is the latest in a long line of video games, including the Legend of Zelda, Elden Ring and The Sims, set to be turned into films.

That's off the back of huge box office success of 2023's Super Mario Bros Movie and this year's A Minecraft Movie, and popularity of TV series such as The Last of Us and Fallout.

Paramount has previously released the successful Sonic the Hedgehog film adaptations, and is the studio behind action hits Top Gun: Maverick and Mission: Impossible.

Last year the studio merged with US media company Skydance, and has since signed deals including a $7.7bn deal for the rights to mixed martial arts tournament UFC.

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