Paramount and Activision have confirmed that their upcoming ‘Call of Duty’movie will be set in the ‘Modern Warfare’ universe, the franchise’s most popular and widely recognized subseries. Director and co-writer Peter Bergshared the news at Fanatics Fest in New York City, with the film currently set to release in theatres on June 30, 2028.
While full plot details are still being kept under wraps, reports suggest the film will center on the rivalry between Captain John Price and the series’s iconic villain, Vladimir Makarov. ‘Modern Warfare’ first launched in 2007 as the fourth mainline ‘Call of Duty’ game, shifting the franchise away from its World War II roots into a more present-day setting. It later got a separate reboot trilogy starting in 2019, and the newest installment, ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4’, is set to release on October 23.
Taylor Sheridan, known for creating “Yellowstone, Landman, and Lioness”, is co-writing the screenplay along with Peter Berg, who is also directing. Peter Berg’s previous work includes “Friday Night Lights, Lone Survivor, Deepwater Horizon, and Battleship”. Sheridan Berg, and producer David Glasser of 101 Studios are producing the film together. Speaking about the project earlier this year, Peter said he and Sheridan feel deeply connected to the special operations community and want the film to feel authentic on a human level while still delivering a large, cinematic scale.
The Call of Duty film was first announced back in September 2025, when Activision revealed plans for a movie and sent out surveys asking fans which part of the franchise they’d most like to see adapted, with options including “Modern Warfare, Black Ops, and Zombies”. Sheridan and Peter Berg officially signed on the following month. Paramount then gave fans their first proper look at the project during its CinemaCon presentation in April 2026, unveiling a sizzle reel and the film’s official logo alongside the June 2028 release date. Saturday’s confirmation of the ‘Modern Warfare’ setting marks the most concrete update on the project since then.
Call of Duty is one of the best-selling video game franchises in history, with more than 500 million copies sold worldwide since it launched in 2003. Choosing Modern Warfare as the film’s setting makes sense given its scale within the franchise. The 2022 game Modern Warfare II alone earned more than $800 million globally in its first three days and crossed $1 billion within ten days, making it one of the biggest entertainment launches of any kind that year. The film’s 2028 release date has also been timed to coincide with the original Call of Duty game’s 25th anniversary.
Not everyone is thrilled with the news. Some fans have pointed out that Peter Berg once made dismissive comments about gamers back in 2013, which has led to skepticism about how well he understands the community he’s now making a film for. Others have also noted that Steven Spielberg had reportedly shown interest in directing the adaptation at one point, only for Paramount to go with Sheridan and Berg instead, adding to some fan’s frustration with the current creative direction.
Beyond the setting and release date, very little about the film has been confirmed. No cast members have been announced, and there’s still no word on the film’s rating or an official plot synopsis. Activision head Rob Kostich has said the team only wanted to move forward with a Call of Duty film if it truly felt right, adding that authenticity and scale were the top priorities in choosing this creative direction.
With the Modern Warfare setting now confirmed, Call of Duty fans have their first real look at what to expect from the long-awaited film, even as questions around cast and story details remain unanswered. The movie is set to hit theatres on June 30, 2028.
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