Xbox Exec Drops New Intel on Taylor Sheridan’s Call of Duty Movie
Xbox Game Studios chief Matt Booty just pulled the pin on new intel about the long-awaited Call of Duty movie, revealing how the project finally mobilized and why Taylor Sheridan is the ideal writer to lead the charge.
Gaming’s biggest shooter is finally headed to the big screen, and it’s not a half-baked brand play. Xbox’s top content exec says a Call of Duty movie is happening with Taylor Sheridan steering the story and Paramount producing. Yes, that Taylor Sheridan. And the way this came together is actually pretty smart.
Who’s making this and why it makes sense
Matt Booty, who runs game content and studios at Microsoft, told Variety that the first-ever Call of Duty movie is in motion with Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan leading the charge, and Paramount on board as the studio. Booty didn’t rattle off plot specifics, but he sounded confident that Sheridan’s brand of character-first, high-intensity storytelling is exactly what the franchise needs on film.
"These adaptations start with the game team."
That’s the line Booty wanted to land, and it’s the part that matters. Instead of a top-down corporate memo, he says the connection sparked directly between 'folks at Paramount' and senior people on the Call of Duty team who felt like they found partners who actually get the game and its audience. That little behind-the-scenes detail explains why this has a shot at working.
So what is this Call of Duty movie, exactly?
Booty didn’t spill story beats. The franchise has two decades of campaigns, factions, and fan-favorite operators to choose from, which is both a gold mine and a headache. His take was basically: picking the right entry point is the whole ballgame. He pointed to the Fallout TV show as a proof-of-concept for how you can honor a massive game world without just rehashing a single storyline. According to Booty, the Call of Duty team already has a direction, and Sheridan’s sensibilities match it.
Why Sheridan is the pick
If you’ve watched Sheridan’s stuff, you know the vibe: morally gray characters, crisp tension, and straight-line plotting that doesn’t get cute. Booty’s argument is that those instincts line up with Call of Duty’s tone. And yeah, that sounds right. The movies that thrive off game IP usually start with character and world rules, not Easter eggs.
- Who said what: Matt Booty (Microsoft’s President of Game Content and Studios) spoke to Variety
- The project: The first Call of Duty feature film
- Creative lead: Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone creator)
- Studio: Paramount
- Status: Plot under wraps; team-led vision in place
- Context: Booty compared the adaptation approach to Fallout’s successful TV strategy
- Timing vibes: Xbox is eyeing its 25th anniversary in 2026, which Booty called a 'banner year'
- Related projects: More Xbox adaptations are in development, including a Minecraft movie sequel and Netflix’s Gears of War projects
The bigger picture
This isn’t a one-off. Xbox is clearly lining up screen projects around the 25-year mark in 2026, and Booty framed that milestone as a big swing year. If Call of Duty comes out of the gate with a clear POV and a director who speaks Sheridan’s language, that’s a very different proposition from the usual 'game brand slapped on a poster' situation.
Bottom line: No casting yet, no release date, and no plot to dissect. But the combo of developer-led decision-making, Paramount footing the bill, and Sheridan calling the narrative shots is a stronger foundation than most game-to-film attempts start with.