Steven Spielberg wanted to direct the Call of Duty movie, but Activision rejected his proposal

The director of classics like Jurassic Park came to present his vision, but creative control was the problem.

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Few figures in the history of cinema carry as much weight as Steven Spielberg, and it’s surprising to discover that the director also wanted to leave his mark on the world of video games. According to new information, the filmmaker not only showed interest in Call of Duty, but even presented Activision with his idea to bring the war franchise to the big screen.

Spielberg, a regular player of the saga, defended a project with a realistic approach and focused on war, but with one clear condition: he wanted to have total control over production and final editing. That detail was enough to raise alarms at Activision, since the company preferred to maintain greater control over any adaptation of their license.

Call of Duty, between Activision and Hollywood

After hearing the proposal, Activision decided not to move forward with Spielberg and opted to sell the franchise rights to Paramount Pictures, a studio with which they felt more comfortable in terms of creative control.

In this way, the Call of Duty movie never came to fruition under Spielberg’s direction, which would undoubtedly have been a massive media blow to the franchise. Nevertheless, this episode reflects Hollywood’s genuine interest in transforming video game sagas into big-screen blockbusters, a path that increasingly has more examples.