Yellowstone’s Taylor Sheridan Directs the Video Game Movie He Was Born to Make

Sometimes Hollywood is right – and we’re not just saying that because we here at SlashFilm dot com saw it coming. Ever since the news broke that Paramount Pictures wanted to bring the famous and ever-popular “Call of Duty” video game series to the big screen, it was immediately obvious who should be the lead creative voice involved. Big names like Steven Spielberg have tried and failed, proving that even this golden age of video game adaptations isn’t a guaranteed home for what could be one of the biggest self-evident films in recent memory. But, with so much (potential) box office profit on the line and plenty of talent eager to take a chance, it looks like we can now expect Taylor Sheridan to be the one to make it happen. And, yes, /Film’s Nick Staniforth called it here.

Deadline has learned that the “Yellowstone” creator and “Hell or High Water” screenwriter have officially been hired to develop and produce Paramount’s “Call of Duty” film, alongside filmmaker Peter Berg. Both will receive co-writing credits while Berg takes the directorial reins, a one-two punch that should immediately help calm the nerves of many fans eager to see their favorite shooter series done justice in live-action form. The two frequent collaborators will be tasked with bringing some sort of narrative clarity to a franchise that, to say the least, has mostly defied these conventions. With few exceptions, the “Call of Dusty” property has launched several standalone war stories where multiplayer gameplay has traditionally been the main draw for players.

Now, Sheridan and Berg will have to bring their A-game in their attempt to turn the potential of a “Call of Duty” movie into reality.

Paramount has certainly been busy these days, operating and business as usual since its merger with Skydance, but its latest gamble might be the biggest turning point of all. After news that Taylor Sheridan would be leaving the studio for the safer (and, apparently, more creative) pastures of NBCUniversal, this bombshell dropped, indicating that he’s not quite done with Paramount after all. It’s also a good thing, because he and Peter Berg could very well represent its best hope of turning a prized intellectual property into its most reliable current franchise.

Much has been made of the unique “Call of Duty” problem facing this property, which arguably poses the biggest threat to a successful, long-running film series. How do you turn fundamentally immersive, game-based material into a faithful, recognizable film that appeals to both hardcore fans and casual audiences? The games have taken place during virtually every major war, from World War II to the present day (and beyond), with no real cohesive arc or characters connecting one game to the next. So who better to solve this puzzle than the man currently in charge of a dizzying lineup of Western shows on Paramount+ and with notable Texas-based machismo to appeal to all types of moviegoers? Sheridan and Berg have teamed up several times in the past, with the latter previously producing Sheridan films such as “Hell or High Water” and “Wind River.”

Deadline reports that Paramount has been circling both names for this project over the past few months, delayed only by Sheridan’s decision to write or produce. He will now do both, alongside Berg, and fans have reason to hope. No release date has been announced.