Taylor Sheridan Proved He Could Make a Great ‘Call of Duty’ Movie 10 Years Ago

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It looked like Paramount might lose Taylor Sheridan, the creator of the hit show Yellowstone. However, they’ve kept him on board to write a movie based on the popular video game Call of Duty. Sheridan previously wrote Sicario, a realistic and gripping military thriller, which heavily influenced the campaign and map design of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.

Beyond his other successes, Taylor Sheridan’s often-overlooked series Special Ops: Lioness further demonstrates his ability to direct a Call of Duty movie. It’s easy to focus on his Yellowstone universe and Westerns, but Sheridan showed he could handle complex military storylines a decade ago.

What Is the ‘Call of Duty’ Movie About?


Activision

Since its debut in 2003, Call of Duty has become one of the world’s most popular video game franchises, known for its realistic military action. With 23 main games already released, a movie adaptation is now in the works. Paramount Pictures is producing the film in collaboration with Activision, and has brought on Taylor Sheridan and Peter Berg (The Kingdom) to write and direct, respectively. A release date hasn’t been announced yet.

Although the story details haven’t been revealed yet, Paramount’s CEO, David Ellison, has said they plan to make the new movie like Top Gun: Maverick (according to IGN). Maverick was a huge success, exceeding expectations with its incredibly realistic flight sequences.

The Call of Duty series started as a World War II game, but it’s changed over time to focus on modern military conflicts around the world. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, for example, includes a campaign mission that feels very similar to events near the U.S.-Mexico border. Because Modern Warfare II drew inspiration from the film Sicario, it’s not surprising that the writer of Sicario has been hired to work on the new Call of Duty video game adaptation.

How ‘Sicario’ Inspired ‘Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’ (2022)


Lionsgate

Released in 2015, Sicario is a critically praised action thriller written by Taylor Sheridan and directed by Denis Villeneuve. The film follows Kate Macer (Emily Blunt), an idealistic FBI agent who is tasked with assisting the U.S. government in dismantling a dangerous Mexican drug cartel operating along the border.

Kate starts with strong beliefs about doing things the right way, but her faith is shaken when she sees her boss at the CIA, Matt Graver (Josh Brolin), willing to skirt the law to fight the drug cartel. She’s especially shocked when Graver hires a dangerous ex-lawyer turned hitman, Alejandro (Benicio del Toro), to work outside the legal system and help the U.S. win the drug war.

Players of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II have pointed out connections to the film Sicario. Both stories feature a protagonist named Alejandro who speaks both Spanish and English. Additionally, the character Phillip Graves in Modern Warfare II – a commander for the Shadow Company private military corporation – bears a strong resemblance to the character Matt Graver from Sicario.

Both the game and the movie share common themes: secret operations, Mexican drug cartels, and the involvement of the Mexican military, all set within a morally ambiguous conflict. The story also mirrors the complex relationships in the Sicario films – particularly the interactions between the characters Alejandro and Graves/Graver – as all narratives are penned by the same writer, Sheridan.

Notably, the creators of Modern Warfare II intentionally modeled some of the game’s multiplayer campaign levels and border maps after scenes from the movie Sicario. The Santa Seña Border Crossing map, in particular, was directly inspired by Sicario, as multiplayer design director Geoff Smith explained to Dexterto:

We understand this map isn’t everyone’s favorite, but we enjoy it because it’s a lot of fun. We especially like moving through the cars – it feels like being in the movie Sicario.

Smith points to a striking scene in the film Sicario – a violent ambush by a Mexican drug cartel happening in broad daylight amidst heavy traffic at the border. A nearly identical sequence appears in a border mission from Modern Warfare II. Given that Taylor Sheridan wrote the script for Sicario and influenced Modern Warfare II, it makes sense he’s now been chosen to create a Call of Duty movie.

If you’re unsure what to watch next, check out Taylor Sheridan’s compelling series, Special Ops: Lioness. The show, about to start its third season, follows a team of female undercover CIA agents carrying out dangerous missions in Iraq. It’s classic Sheridan – full of suspense and action.

Peter Berg is known for directing intense military action movies. He first gained attention with The Kingdom in 2007, and has since directed films like Lone Survivor, Mile 22, Battleship, and Patriots Day. Mark Wahlberg has appeared in three of these five films, so it’s possible Berg might cast him in the upcoming Call of Duty movie – though that remains unconfirmed.

Taylor Sheridan is known for creating exciting action stories centered around the military, and that’s a proven strength – as seen in films like Sicario and Lioness. This makes Paramount a smart choice to bring the Call of Duty video game franchise to the big screen. You can currently watch Sicario on Peacock.

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2025-11-03 04:19