Skip to main content

Call of Duty writer lands CBS pilot

call of duty writer lands cbs pilot cod4b
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Jesse Stern, the writer behind Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Modern Warfare 2, has sold a pilot to CBS, according to Deadline. The pilot, which is being co-developed by NCIS: LA’s creator Shane Brennan will be titled Insecurity, and is being described as a crime drama. Stern will serve as a writer and a producer.

Stern has spent the majority of his career working in television, on programs ranging from Angel to the hugely successful NCIS, where he began as a writer in 2004 and eventually went on to be named a co-executive producer. During that run, Stern was hired in 2007 by Infinity Ward to write the story for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare.

Although Call of Duty is a series best known for its multiplayer, the story in Modern Warfare was strong enough to spawn two sequels, the second of which was also written by Stern. The first game in the trilogy went on to sell over 13 million copies, while its sequel sold well over 20 million.

Insecurity focuses on a former federal agent with obsessive compulsive disorder that works as Head of Security at a Boston Art Museum. This former agent was also raised by criminals, giving him a unique view on the world of crime. His background and experience lead to him being contacted to help solve complex crimes around the country.

This marks the second pilot Stern has helped to sell in 2013. He is currently working on the comedy Thursday, about a diverse group of friends that meet every Thursday night for dinner. Stern is co-writing the pilot with show creator and actor Breckin Meyer.

Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
All Call of Duty games in order, by release date and chronologically
e3 2021 missing games call of duty

Call of Duty is one of the most successful video game franchises of all time. The original Call of Duty set a new standard for first-person shooters, the series' online multiplayer work has been a must-play for gamers for nearly two decades, and Warzone has been one of the top battle royale experiences of late.

The series has covered a lot of warfare, from World War II to futuristic fictional wars in 2187, but never in any set order. Players have been bounced around from era to era with each annual COD release and even revisited the same conflicts multiple times from different perspectives through direct sequels and remakes.

Read more
Call of Duty: Warzone is finally coming to mobile in March
Gameplay from Call of Duty: Warzone mobile

Activision's popular battle royale game Call of Duty: Warzone is making the jump to mobile in March. Specifically, it launches for iOS and Android devices on March 21.

This is a separate game from Tencent's Call of Duty: Mobile, which is currently available on the App Store and Google Play Store. Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is made in-house by several Activision teams, including Beenox, Digital Legends, Solid State Studios, and Shanghai Studios. Further signifying that connection is that Warzone Mobile has shared progression with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and the PC and console versions of Warzone. Payers can level up the same weapons, access content from the BlackCell Battle Pass and store, and gain XP on the same account across all three games. Warzone Mobile will also have full controller support, although it will have a virtual controller overlay that's highly customizable.

Read more
Hogwarts Legacy beats out Call of Duty to become 2023’s bestselling game
A student waving a wand in Hogwarts Legacy.

Circana's Mat Piscatella has released video game market highlights for 2023, and WB Games' Hogwarts Legacy ended up being the bestselling game of 2023, beating out the likes of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Marvel's Spider-Man 2.

"Hogwarts Legacy finished as 2023’s bestselling video game in the U.S. market in dollar sales. It is the first year since 2008 that a non-Call of Duty or Rockstar-developed title ranked 1st (Rock Band)," Piscatella explained on X. "Hogwarts Legacy was the bestselling game of the year on PlayStation platforms, ranked 2nd on Xbox platforms, and placed 5th on Nintendo platforms."

Read more