{"id":"1792884173405-culture-segment","slug":"call-of-duty-movie-promises-soul","title":"Call of Duty movie promises soul","summary":"Peter Berg, director of Paramount's live-action Call of Duty film, said the movie will be based on the Modern Warfare subseries and will focus on the human cost of war. Berg described characters like Captain Price, Soap, Ghost, and Alex as \"complicated humans\" rather than cartoon or comic-book heroes. The film, co-written with Taylor Sheridan, is dated for June 30, 2028.\n\nBerg and Sheridan are positioning the adaptation as having a \"very strong soul\" and a focus on duty and the burden carried by soldiers, rather than being a simple shoot-'em-up action movie. Berg has said he feels connected to the special operations community and wants authenticity alongside big scope.\n\nDirector Peter Berg said in interviews that the Call of Duty movie will be based on the Modern Warfare games and will explore \"the cost of war\" with \"a very strong soul.\"\n\nDrake is the first act to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units; the RIAA announced the milestone alongside 30 new certifications.\n\nDrake recently turned 40 and shared childhood photos with a message about self-acceptance.","publishedAt":"2026-10-24T23:22:53.405Z","channel":{"id":"culture","name":"Oncast Music","language":"en"},"show":"On Repeat","verification":{"status":"verified","leadVerdict":"TRUE","notes":"TRUE: Director Peter Berg said in interviews that the Call of Duty movie will be based on the Modern Warfare games and will explore \"the cost of war\" with \"a very strong soul.\"\nSource: IGN / Polygon / Variety NAMES: Call of Duty = Activision's first-person shooter game series, now owned by Xbox. POST 2114123327652720733: NOCLAIM POST 211412075 (https://x.com/IGN/status/2114130067869544517)\n\nTRUE: Drake is the first act to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units; the RIAA announced the milestone alongside 30 new certifications.\nSource: Billboard (https://x.com/billboard/status/2114129865158938842)\n\nTRUE: Drake recently turned 40 and shared childhood photos with a message about self-acceptance.\nSource: Billboard NAMES: Drake = Canadian rapper and singer (Aubrey Drake Graham). POST 2114122262215643599: NOCLAIM POST 2112956097652756569: NOCLAIM POST 211381609758 (https://x.com/billboard/status/2114130273696690448)","claims":[{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Director Peter Berg said in interviews that the Call of Duty movie will be based on the Modern Warfare games and will explore \"the cost of war\" with \"a very strong soul.\"","sourceName":"IGN / Polygon / Variety NAMES: Call of Duty = Activision's first-person shooter game series, now owned by Xbox. POST 2114123327652720733: NOCLAIM POST 211412075","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/IGN/status/2114130067869544517","claim":"Call of Duty movie director Peter Berg has teased more details from his live-action film, promising an adaptation with \"a very strong soul\" that explores \"the cost of war.\" https://t.co/aqIEYpC4V1 https://t.co/eilXnj7mHq","author":"@IGN"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Drake is the first act to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units; the RIAA announced the milestone alongside 30 new certifications.","sourceName":"Billboard","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/billboard/status/2114129865158938842","claim":"Drake Becomes First Act to Surpass 350 Million RIAA-Certified Units, With 30 New Certifications https://t.co/g4ce2js4Hy","author":"@billboard"},{"verdict":"TRUE","summary":"Drake recently turned 40 and shared childhood photos with a message about self-acceptance.","sourceName":"Billboard NAMES: Drake = Canadian rapper and singer (Aubrey Drake Graham). POST 2114122262215643599: NOCLAIM POST 2112956097652756569: NOCLAIM POST 211381609758","sourceUrl":"https://x.com/billboard/status/2114130273696690448","claim":"Drake Turns 40, Shares Personal Childhood Photos: ‘I Accept You for You’ https://t.co/PCisk5YKXF","author":"@billboard"}]},"sources":[{"url":"https://x.com/IGN/status/2114130067869544517","name":"IGN / Polygon / Variety NAMES: Call of Duty = Activision's first-person shooter game series, now owned by Xbox. POST 2114123327652720733: NOCLAIM POST 211412075","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@IGN"},{"url":"https://x.com/billboard/status/2114129865158938842","name":"Billboard","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@billboard"},{"url":"https://x.com/billboard/status/2114130273696690448","name":"Billboard NAMES: Drake = Canadian rapper and singer (Aubrey Drake Graham). POST 2114122262215643599: NOCLAIM POST 2112956097652756569: NOCLAIM POST 211381609758","kind":"x","verdict":"TRUE","author":"@billboard"}],"url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1792884173405-culture-segment-call-of-duty-movie-promises-soul","listenUrl":"https://oncast.fm/c/culture","attribution":{"publisher":"Oncast","site":"https://oncast.fm","url":"https://oncast.fm/story/1792884173405-culture-segment-call-of-duty-movie-promises-soul","cite":"Cite https://oncast.fm/story/1792884173405-culture-segment-call-of-duty-movie-promises-soul and the original source links. Fact-check by Oncast (oncast.fm)."},"hostsSaid":[{"host":"Laura","text":"Peter Berg says the Call of Duty movie is going to have \"a very strong soul.\""},{"host":"Claudette","text":"That's what every director says right before the explosions start."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Except he's not pretending it's a quiet indie. He's doubling down."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Berg talked to IGN about the live-action adaptation, and he's focused on the Modern Warfare storyline."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Right, not just \"Call of Duty\" the brand — the actual characters. Captain Price, Soap, Ghost."},{"host":"Laura","text":"He called them \"complicated humans,\" not cartoon heroes."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"That's the part that gets me. These games are famous for big set pieces."},{"host":"Laura","text":"And he says the movie is about \"the cost of war.\" The burden soldiers carry."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Okay, but it's June 2028, co-written with Taylor Sheridan. That's a long runway."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Sheridan turned Yellowstone into a cultural event. He knows how to frame duty and loyalty."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"I'm not saying it can't work. I'm saying every video game movie promises soul."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Look at the track record."},{"host":"Laura","text":"The Last of Us proved it on television. The Super Mario movie was a giant hit."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Those are different. Mario wasn't aiming for soul, and Last of Us was already written like prestige TV."},{"host":"Laura","text":"But that's exactly the point! Call of Duty has real military history baked into Modern Warfare."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Berg's connected to the special ops community. He wants authenticity, not just gunfire."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"And there's a Battlefield movie coming from Chris McQuarrie and Michael B. Jordan."},{"host":"Laura","text":"So we're about to get two very serious war movies based on shooters."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Fine. I'll give Berg this: he said the characters are the reason, not the killstreaks."},{"host":"Laura","text":"That's all I'm asking."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"The story continues in the fall with Modern Warfare 4. North versus South Korea."},{"host":"Laura","text":"So the movie feeds the game feeds the movie."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Could be a smart expansion. Or could be a very expensive cutscene."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Speaking of expensive: Drake just hit a number nobody else has."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Billboard reports he's the first artist ever to surpass 350 million RIAA-certified units."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"That's not a typo. 350 million."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Thirty new certifications just landed, and it pushed him past the mark."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"And he turned 40 this week. Posted childhood photos with the line \"I accept you for you.\""},{"host":"Laura","text":"That's the softer side. But the numbers are the argument."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Say what you want about Drake, but no one has sold more certified music."},{"host":"Laura","text":"And the certifications count streams now, so it's a modern total."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Still, the chart history is real. Hit after hit for over a decade."},{"host":"Laura","text":"The debate always becomes: is he a rapper, a pop star, or a brand?"},{"host":"Claudette","text":"He's all three. That's why the number is that big."},{"host":"Laura","text":"And he's still releasing. This milestone isn't a retirement lap."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Different world entirely: Complex is pointing to a viral clip of a newborn with a full mustache."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"The internet is split on whether it's real or AI."},{"host":"Laura","text":"A baby with a mustache. That's the timeline we live in."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"There's no word yet on the clip's authenticity. Some say the eyebrows match too well."},{"host":"Laura","text":"My money's on AI, but the fact that we can't tell is the headline."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"It's a harmless laugh, assuming it is fake."},{"host":"Laura","text":"And if it's real, that baby's Halloween costume is settled for life."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"One quick music note before we go: Tony Iommi's new album From The Dark is out."},{"host":"Laura","text":"The Black Sabbath legend is asking fans to pick a favorite track. Legacy is his closing song."},{"host":"Claudette","text":"Iommi's still making heavy music at 78. That's the kind of career Drake might one day admire."},{"host":"Laura","text":"Different genres, same obsession with the work."}]}