Tony Scott’s ‘Call of Duty’

Tony Scott, who was celebrated as the director of “Top Gun” and other blockbuster Hollywood action films, had a less publicized project in video games.

The filmmaker had teamed up with his brother Ridley Scott to be executive producers for a series of reality Webisodes featuring notable people playing “Call of Duty” online death matches against each other.

For the Scott brothers, getting involved with a video game franchise like “Call of Duty” isn’t as bizarre as it may seem, said Scott Steinberg, founder of TechSavvy, a media consulting firm in Seattle.

“A number of Hollywood stalwarts have paired with game franchises as they look to reinvent themselves to appeal to a younger, more interactive generation,” Steinberg said, citing filmmakers Gore Verbinski, Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro. “They’re all trying to speak to today’s digital and connected audience.”

The Scotts’ reality game series, called “Call of Duty Elite: Friday Night Fights,” premiered last year with six episodes that were available only to players who paid $49.99 a year for access to extra online content. The series, funded by the game’s publisher, Activision Blizzard, continues this year with an additional 10 episodes.

Each show pitted two teams of four in tournament-style play. Among the notables recruited to play were Michelle Rodriguez, whose team fought against Justine Ezarik, the YouTube star known as iJustine. The matches were hosted by former female professional wrestler Stacy Keibler.

Tony Scott and his brother Ridley are listed on IMDB.com as executive producers of all the episodes.

RELATED:

Director Tony Scott dead after jumping off bridge

Tony Scott’s death treated as suicide; autopsy planned

Health problems probed in investigation of Tony Scott’s death

Follow Alex Pham on Twitter