United Kingdom, Sept. 3 -- Paramount has struck a deal with Activision to bring the blockbuster video game franchise Call of Duty to cinema screens for the first time.

The studio - which last month completed an $8 billion merger with David Ellison's Skydance - will develop, produce and distribute a live-action film based on the long-running military shooter series. Activision, which has been part of Microsoft since its $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard in 2022, confirmed the deal will initially focus on a single movie but leaves scope for expansion across film and television.

David Ellison, Paramount's chairman and chief executive, said: "As a lifelong fan of Call of Duty this is truly a dream come true. From the first Al...