The forthcoming Call of Duty movie, set within the Modern Warfare universe, is intended to delve into the "cost of war," according to director Peter Berg.
Berg stated in an interview that the film will aim to capture the spirit of the games, which inherently involve significant combat and violence. However, he stressed that the movie will also explore the "heart and soul" of its characters. "These are complicated humans,” Berg said of characters like Captain Price, Soap, Ghost, and Alex. “These are not—and no disrespect—cartoon characters or comic books. These are very nuanced storylines; like, there’s a real soul to the Modern Warfare universe."
He elaborated that while the game's narrative includes "violence, and there’s hardware, and equipment, and there’s killing," its core message examines "the cost of war, the cost of having to be a warrior who’s, for whatever reason, chosen to put himself between real danger and the rest of us, and the burden that these guys carry."
Berg characterized this as "real stuff" that requires a respectful cinematic approach, differentiating it from a simple action flick. "This is not just ‘Hey, let’s shoot them all up and shoot popcorn!’ Like, there’s a soul underneath it," he remarked.
Taylor Sheridan, the film's writer, is noted for his understanding of the military and war themes, having previously worked on acclaimed projects such as "Sicario," "Hell or High Water," and "Wind River." He also created the television series "Lioness."
Berg himself has a history of directing films based on real-world military experiences and tragedies, including "Lone Survivor," "Deepwater Horizon," and "Patriots Day."
The Call of Duty movie is slated for a June 2028 theatrical release and is being produced by David Ellison's Skydance. This comes as the latest Call of Duty game, "Modern Warfare 4," recently launched on October 23. Separately, a Battlefield movie is also in development with notable talent attached.