At a time when superhero flicks are on a noticeable slump, movie executives and audiences around the world are turning to other sources and IP for media and entertainment. One such valuable source, of course, is video games.

In a survey from the National Research Group, first-person shooter Call of Duty (CoD) is among several titles gamers want to see Hollywood adaptations for, whether on the big or small screen. The decades-old Activision-Blizzard video game franchise joins the likes of The Legend of Zelda and Grand Theft Auto in the top 10 games for which people want to see adaptations.

Based on the survey, 72% of gamers said watching an adaptation of a game they’ve played would motivate them to go back and replay it, while 65% stated that screen adaptations make it easier for them to share their love of video game franchises with friends and family. Previously, Japanese video game giant Nintendo announced it is producing and partially financing a live-action adaptation of a Zelda movie with Sony Pictures Entertainment. Coincidentally, Sony is also developing a G-d of War television series for Amazon’s VOD service, Prime Video.

If CoD fans are to be granted a screen adaptation anytime soon, expectations may be somewhat high considering the success of other video game adaptations in recent years, from HBO’s The Last of Us, Universal’s Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Prime Video’s Fallout series.

The Call of Duty franchise

First released in 2003, fans have been able to enjoy a new Call of Duty title every year since 2004, each installment introducing new gameplay features, game modes, and graphical updates. The most recent title, Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, saw a successful release in October 2024, boosting the build-up to the 2025 Call of Duty League (CDL) season — the franchise’s official esports circuit.

If Hollywood execs need further proof that people enjoy watching CoD as much as they do playing the games, the most recent Call of Duty League viewership numbers can help Activision-Blizzard’s case. According to Esports Charts, concurrent viewership peaked at over 204,000 during the Game 5 series between the LA Guerrillas and the Minnesota Rokkr. This is a massive jump from last year’s CDL opening weekend which peaked at just under 107,000.

CoD esports fans also bet on Call of Duty to add to the high-stakes entertainment, allowing fans to make a return on investment by placing bets on teams and players with better odds. Reputable esports betting platform, Thunderpick, also actively supports cryptocurrency betting for a more secure and anonymous betting experience. Aside from offering coverage for official CDL games, Thunderpick also offers betting lines and odds for other Call of Duty esports events like Call of Duty Challengers — the amateur circuit — and the World Series of Warzone — CoD’s battle royale game mode.

Aside from its esports scene and betting culture, CoD‘s integration of next-generation and realistic graphics in new installments has also helped craft a cinematic gaming experience for the game’s loyal fanbase. In our previous post highlighting Guild of Music Supervisors Awards nominations and winners, there’s no missing the numerous Call of Duty nominations for Best Music Supervision in a Trailer and Best Music Supervision in a Video Game for both Synch and Original Music. While CoD is mainly known for its competitive multiplayer lobbies, its single-player campaign game modes over the years have played like lengthy, interactive movies, using film elements like cinematography and music to create immersive and tense experiences for players.

Previous attempts at Call of Duty adaptations

As of now, we’ve yet to see a screen adaptation for any of the Call of Duty titles, but it’s not because of a lack of trying. Many years ago, fans were given hope of a potential Call of Duty adaptation set in World War II. Much like its competitor and fellow shooter franchise, Halo, there had been plans for different CoD projects such as a real-time strategy (RTS) spin-off, comic books and graphic novels, and, of course, movies. However, concerns about being upstaged and clashing with the Band of Brothers miniseries in 2001 hindered Call of Duty WWII movies from ever reaching full fruition.

While more recent Call of Duty titles have veered into speculative historical fiction and ultra-futuristic military operations, this scrapped idea for a World War II-bound CoD adaptation would have been one based on historical realism. Real-life veterans were interviewed, and experts and historians were consulted. Unfortunately, Band of Brothers had also done the same, leading to the eventual abandonment of the project.

Ultimately, we’ll have to wait for official confirmation of a CoD adaptation. Fans note that many iconic moments in gaming history have spawned from the franchise’s many single-player campaigns. At the same time, Call of Duty is no stranger to Hollywood, having hired the voice and acting talent of many notable actors in the games’ campaigns. Surely, a long-awaited CoD screen adaptation won’t back down from similarly star-studded billings.