Yellowstone's Taylor Sheridan Is Making The Video Game Movie He Was Born For

Sometimes, Hollywood actually gets it right — and we're not just saying that because we here at SlashFilm dot com saw this coming. Ever since the news broke that Paramount Pictures was interested in bringing the acclaimed and ever-popular video game series "Call of Duty" to the big screen, it was immediately obvious who should be the major creative voice involved. Major names such as Steven Spielberg have tried and failed to pull this off, proving that even this golden era for video game adaptations isn't a guaranteed safe harbor for what might be one of the biggest no-brainer movies in recent memory. But, with so much (potential) box office profit at stake and plenty of talents eager to take a crack at it, it appears that we can now expect Taylor Sheridan to be the one to make this happen. And, yes, /Film's Nick Staniforth called it here.

Deadline has the news that the "Yellowstone" creator and "Hell or High Water" screenwriter has been officially hired to develop and produce Paramount's "Call of Duty" movie, along with filmmaker Peter Berg. Both will receive co-writing credits while Berg will take the reins as director, a one-two punch that should immediately help calm the nerves of many a fan anxious to see their favorite shooter series done justice in live-action form. The two frequent collaborators will be tasked with bringing some sort of narrative clarity to a franchise that, to put it mildly, has mostly defied such conventions. With only a few exceptions, the "Call of Dusty" property has debuted several standalone war stories where the multiplayer gameplay has traditionally been the main draw for gamers.

Now, Sheridan and Berg will have to bring their A-game in their attempt to turn the potential of a "Call of Duty" film into reality.

Paramount's certainly been busy these days, wheeling and dealing like nobody's business since its merger with Skydance, but its latest gambit might be the biggest swing of all. Fresh off the news that Taylor Sheridan will be departing the studio for the safer (and, apparently, more creatively-friendly) pastures of NBCUniversal, this bombshell dropped indicating that he's not quite done with Paramount after all. It's a good thing, too, because he and Peter Berg might very well represent its best hope to turn a prized IP into its most reliable ongoing franchise.

Much has been made of the unique "Call of Duty" problem facing this property, which poses arguably the biggest threat to a successful and long-running series of movies. How do you turn fundamentally immersive and gaming-based material into a faithful and recognizable film that appeals to both diehard fans and casual audiences alike? The games have been set during practically every major war from World War II to the modern day (and beyond), with no real cohesive arc or characters bridging one game to the next. So, who better to solve this puzzle than the man currently in charge of a dizzying array of Western shows on Paramount+ and with a notable, Texas-based machismo to appeal to every type of moviegoer out there? Sheridan and Berg have teamed up multiple times in the past, the latter having previously produced Sheridan films such as "Hell or High Water" and "Wind River."

Deadline reports that Paramount has been circling both names for this project the past several months, delayed only by Sheridan deciding whether to write or produce. He'll now do both, along with Berg, and fans have reason to hope. No release date has been announced.