Overview

• Puck’s Matthew Belloni reports Steven Spielberg and Amblin, partnered with Universal’s Jimmy Horowitz, pitched a version he would direct.
• Activision balked at the “Spielberg deal” terms that included top-of-market economics, final cut, and full control of production and marketing.
• The publisher opted for Paramount’s proposal from CEO David Ellison that granted Activision greater control over the project.
• No director, cast, creative specifics, or release date have been announced for the Paramount film, which leaves open the option to expand into TV.
• The timing of Spielberg’s pitch is not publicly known, and Activision—the Call of Duty publisher—is now owned by Microsoft.