They're making a Sea of Thieves movie and the more I think about it, the more I'm into it

They're Making a Sea of Thieves Movie and the More I Think About It, the More I'm Into It

When the Call of Duty movie was announced in 2025, I couldn’t help but think, why? Whether you're a fan of Black Ops, Modern Warfare, or any other Call of Duty sub-series, the movie landscape is already saturated with stories that feel eerily similar to what you’d expect from a big-time military shooter. Take The Terminal List — slap a CoD brand on it, and you’ve got yourself a Modern Warfare movie with minimal changes.

Now, though, we have news from Entertainment Weekly that a Sea of Thieves movie is also in development. While it’s still very early-stage — a director hasn’t even been signed — the film will be produced by Destin Daniel Cretton, known for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and the upcoming Spider-Man: Brand New Day, through his Hisako Films production company.

Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty explained that the core of Sea of Thieves is its player-driven, community-focused experience. “The main character of a Sea of Thieves game is actually the player and the community,” he said. “It's a super social game, but there's a tone to Sea of Thieves. It's built on a very cooperative community, so you can start to sense what that's going to be like.”

While this doesn’t exactly tell me what kind of movie it will be or why it’s being made, the justifications for it do at least seem a little more solid than the Call of Duty movie. After all, there aren’t as many examples of “we have a Sea of Thieves movie at home.” Pirates of the Caribbean is the obvious comparison — so obvious that an official crossover happened years ago. But beyond that, I’m not sure what else would work.

That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a great idea, but the open-ended nature of Sea of Thieves — which doesn’t tie it down to a particular cast of known characters — gives it a better chance of finding an audience than a movie that has very rigid, fixed expectations right from the start.

A Sea of Thieves Movie Could Take Many Forms

When thinking about how to approach a Sea of Thieves movie, I can imagine several possibilities. You could go the Pixar-style animated route, which could work incredibly well. Or, even better, you could go for a classic Disney-style adventure — think Pirates of the Caribbean meets The Goonies — and create something truly memorable.

Honestly, the more I think about it, the more I believe that approach would be better than trying to CGI the hell out of a big-budget live-action production. It would allow for more creative freedom, a stronger focus on the game's unique tone, and the opportunity to explore the world of Sea of Thieves in a way that aligns with its spirit of adventure and cooperation.

And who knows? Maybe this is the start of something truly exciting. I can see it working pretty well — and I’m actually starting to get pretty hyped about it.