I mean, I guess…
Activision will partner with Paramount to bring Call of Duty to the silver screen, with the option for further projects down the line if successful. Activision President Rob Kostich stated, “Our shared goal is quite simple — 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 whispers on and off about a Call of Duty movie for as long as I can remember, including a 2012 quote from Bobby Kotick, who was worried that a film would “taint the brand” (the irony isn’t lost on me). I’m surprised it’s taken this long, but it was always going to happen eventually. The potential for money is too high.
I’m already extremely jaded with Call of Duty outside of Black Ops, and even elements of that are starting to wear thin. A blockbuster movie isn’t going to do much to change that. Not that I’m who they’re trying to reel in here—transmedia projects are usually about bringing in new sets of eyes—but I definitely feel a sense of apathy at this stage, unlike some of my peers. Maybe once we get more details, I’ll start to feel something more.
The partnership makes sense on paper. Paramount is ambitiously growing its portfolio and has done some great work with another big gaming property, Sonic the Hedgehog (the inclusion of Shadow in Sonic 3 was near-perfection). However, its Halo “adaptation” bombed hard, somehow finding room on the series’ beaten body to leave yet another permanent mark. I hope Paramount’s treatment of Call of Duty is closer to the blue blur.
There is some cause for optimism: with the right cast and crew, a faithful adaptation of the Black Ops campaign could make for an incredible movie. If Paramount can recreate what a generation of players felt when discovering the truth behind the numbers, it’d be on to a winner. But what are the chances of that happening? I’ll say 7%.
For one, Black Ops will almost certainly be pushed aside for the Modern Warfare sub-series. It’s the more popular of the two, and the faces behind the main characters are already established actors (though will they opt for other names to take advantage of star power?). The original MW trilogy is a classic and could translate well to the cinema, but I’m less confident in its “gritty” reboot, which started promisingly but burned out hard. If that’s the inspiration, get ready for two hours of Price, Soap, and Ghost brooding about Makarov, the impossible-to-kill bad guy.
My gripes with the reboot aside, Modern Warfare is a far safer pick for a debut. It can be a run-of-the-mill “Dad movie”: no frills, nothing much to say, just a motion picture full of action, violence and quips. Or can it? Call of Duty is a key player in the military–entertainment complex, with the US Army sponsoring Call of Duty League events in the past. Unless the director and screenwriter have a bold vision, I’d expect large amounts of flag-shagging jingoism.
The only other thing I’d be interested in seeing is an animated Zombies series. There’s an opportunity to give us the ending to The Aether Saga in a format more befitting of the story than one constrained by a budget. Hell, we could even see a continuation of the adventures of Scarlett, Diego, Bruno and Shaw this way. Sadly, it’s not going to happen. If we did ever see a Zombies series, it would no doubt be a watered-down endeavour at recreating the magic of Aether. And unless the budget is substantial, I don’t want to see any live-action Call of Duty Zombies at all. We’re dangerously close to the “Chris Pratt is Edward Richtofen” meme becoming a reality, and I do not like it.
Maybe I’m being overly cynical, but not every video game series needs a movie adaptation, much less a cinematic universe. Given the difficulties Call of Duty has had with coherent storytelling recently, I fail to see how this project ends up any different. We’re looking at a movie that succeeds at the box office and ends up with a rating of around 6.1 on IMDb. Hardcore fans will bang their heads against the wall at changes that didn’t need to be made, and newcomers will either be tempted to try out the games or carry on, never thinking about the series again.
Regardless of reception, I’ll end up watching it because I’m a mug. I also happen to enjoy going to the cinema, but I’m mostly a mug.
