The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on Thursday that George Clooney would be bringing Catch-22 to the small screen. Clooney will star and direct all six episodes of the series, which will be produced by Paramount Television.
This project will be Clooney’s first return to television following his role on the hit NBC series ER. The majority of Clooney’s directing work has been in film (having written and directed movies such as Good Night, and Good Luck., The Ides of March, and his most recent, Suburbicon). His move to TV points to a larger trend of A-list actors moving their attentions away from Hollywood blockbusters in favor of longer-form television series.
Catch 22 will be an adaptation of Joseph Heller’s famous novel of the same name. The story follows Captain Yossarian, a member of the US Air Force, serving in Italy during WWII as he tries to complete his service requirements and go home.
Catch-22 was previously adapted into a feature film in 1970, directed by Mike Nichols. A pilot episode of a TV comedy adaptation was made in 1973 starring Richard Drefyuss as Yossarian, but the series did not move forward.
Clooney will play Colonel Cathcart in his adaptation of the novel. Luke Davies (best known for his screenplay for Lion) and David Michod (The Rover, War Machine) will co-write the series. Catch-22 will reportedly be shopped around for potential networks in December.