Earlier this month, Activision revealed that Peter Berg was set to direct the upcoming Call of Duty movie from Paramount. Ironically, when asked about military video games over a decade ago, he had some harsh words for fans of military shooters like CoD and Battlefield, calling people who play them “pathetic” and “weak.”
As first spotted by ResetEra user Neat, Berg sat down for a long interview with Esquire back in 2013, fresh off directing the classic film Battleship. When asked about war games, Berg was brutal and blunt, calling them “pathetic” multiple times.
“Pathetic. Pathetic. Keyboard courage,” said Berg over a decade ago. “Can’t stand it. The only people that I give a Call of Duty get-out-of-jail-free card to are the military. They’re out there serving and they’re bored and they want to entertain themselves? Okay, maybe. Kids? Uh-uh.”
It’s not just military shooters that Berg finds terrible. In general, it seems like the director behind such hit films as Spenser Confidential (a movie everyone remembers and loves) just can’t stand video games.
“I think anyone that sits around playing video games for four hours…It’s weak,” said Berg. “Get out, do something.”
And you know, Berg is correct that people who play games should also get out and do more. The same is true of movie fans. Or book readers. In general, life is better and more rewarding when you expand past one specific hobby or medium and try new things. That said, playing video games for a few hours isn’t pathetic. Thankfully, Berg isn’t tapped to direct a major Hollywood movie based on a massively popular video game franchise. Wait a minute, my editor has just told me to scroll back up to the start of this article.
Oh…oh no. Well, good luck on the press tour, Berg. Also, remember when Steven Spielberg reportedly wanted to make the Call of Duty movie? Call of Duty is set to hit theaters in 2028.