George Clooney has announced that he will be directing and starring in a six-part miniseries adaptation of Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel Catch-22. The series is a joint venture between Paramount Television and Anonymous Content, the production company behind such films as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Babel and The Revenant. Luke Davies and David Michôd are penning the screenplay. Clooney will appear in a starring role as Colonel Cathcart, an ambitious commanding officer.
Catch-22 revolves around an Air Force squadron stationed in Italy during World War II. Captain John Yossarian spends his time trying to avoid dangerous missions and escape the machinations of his indifferent superiors. This is made more difficult by the fact that these missions are virtually impossible to dodge. Squadron policy dictates that airmen who willingly fly bombing missions must be insane. However, those who ask to be removed from the bombing roster are actually in their right mind, as only a sane person would be able to recognize the dangers of flying bombing missions over Italy. As a result, the bombers are caught in an endless loop where they can’t back out of flying missions.
The novel was previously adapted into a film in 1970 starring Alan Arkin and Martin Balsam. Although approved by Joseph Heller, the film was overshadowed by Robert Altman’s MASH released earlier the same year. In 1973, CBS aired a failed sitcom pilot based on the book. The pilot starred Richard Dreyfuss as Yossarian and Dana Elcar as Colonel Cathcart.
The miniseries marks George Clooney’s return to the small screen. The actor first rose to fame in the 1990s as Dr. Doug Ross on NBC’s medical drama ER. After leaving the show at the end of season five, Clooney became a film star when he appeared in films like Ocean’s Eleven and Syriana. He moved behind the camera with 2002’s Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and has become well-known as a film producer under the banner of his production company, Smoke House Pictures.
Although the series has not been picked up by a television network, filming is scheduled to begin in early 2018. Additional casting has not yet been announced.
