Steven Spielberg, the legendary Oscar-winning director, was reportedly interested in directing a Call of Duty movie but it fell apart due to his apparent desire for total control. Matthew Belloni of Puck (paywalled) reported that Spielberg was trying to make a Call of Duty movie with Universal and wanted to personally direct it through his Amblin production company. Spielberg was said to have partnered with Universal film boss Jimmy Horowitz to pitch the project to Activision, but it didn't materialize.
Wren Graves (Managing Editor): Way back in 2017, creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone said they planned to "back off" jokes about Donald Trump. "It's really tricky now as satire has become reality," Parker explained at the time. As recently as last year they seemed intent on sticking to that plan, announcing that they would skip the 2024 election "on purpose," with Parker adding, "I don't know what more we could possibly say about Trump."