Hollywood’s long search to crack the code of video game-to-film adaptations continues, and it looks like their next major crack at it will be the upcoming Call Of Duty movie. Around a year ago, it was reported that Activision Blizzard Studios was developing not just a Call Of Duty movie, but (of course) a whole expanded universe based off the popular video game franchise.
They have now found a director to get the first instalment started. Stefano Sollima is in final talks to helm the video game adaptation. Having made his name with the TV series Gomorrah, he’s now set to become an even bigger name in Hollywood after directing Sicario 2: Soldado, which hits cinemas in June.
The film isn’t yet set up at a studio, but Stacey Sher and Nick van Dyk are producing while Kieran Fitzgerald (Snowden) has penned the script. While Soldado has yet to arrive, considering the gritty nature of Gomorrah, Sollima is a solid choice to helm a film based on a franchise that mostly revolves around the anarchy and destruction of war.
The uphill battle for Sollima and co. will be crafting a successful film out of a franchise whose only brand is its name, and is perhaps not as popular outside a relatively niche target audience – though a coveted demographic – as studios think. Call Of Duty contains no well known characters for audiences to latch onto and has never exactly been a beacon of originality.
But while an expanded universe is the goal, perhaps the team behind the film should learn to walk before they can run. Video game adaptations have notoriously been poorly received both critically and financially. If even one Call Of Duty film succeeds in either way, it will probably be deemed a positive.
Let’s get one good film first, and then we can start talking about a Marvel-esque Call Of Duty extended universe. There’s still a lot to be done, but it seems like the long-gestating Call Of Duty movie is definitely happening.
We’ll likely get a better idea of Sollima’s fit for the franchise when Sicario 2: Soldado is released on Friday, June 29.
#Peace.Love.CallOfDuty
