Hugh Laurie (
"House") has joined the upcoming limited series
"Catch-22", based on the
1961 novel of the same name by
Joseph Heller. The series is being developed for Hulu by Anonymous Content and Paramount Television.
George Clooney will direct, alongside
Grant Heslov and
Ellen Kuras, and also co-star. The script has been written by
Luke Davies (
"Lion") and
David Michôd (
"Animal Kingdom").
Set during World War II, specifically between 1942 and 1944, the story follows Captain John Yossarian, played by
Christopher Abbott, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier, and his friends in the fictional 256th Squadron based on the island of Pianosa, off the coast of Italy, as they struggle to stay alive and maintain their sanity while the army keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. The title refers to a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule which specifies that a concern for one's own safety in the face of dangers which are real and immediate is the process of a rational mind; a man is considered insane if he willingly continues to fly dangerous combat missions, but a request to be removed from duty is evidence of sanity and therefore makes him ineligible to be relieved from duty.
Clooney will play Colonel Catchart and Laurie will star as Major de Coverley, a squadron executive officer on Pianosa air base who is a legend among the men because he generally does things his way. He spends his time pitching horseshoes, listening to jazz on his phonograph, mixing himself martinis, and hiring apartments for the officers in every new city the Americans take.
The limited series will consist of six episodes. Clooney, Heslow, Davies and Michôd will serve as executive producers. Filming is expected to begin early 2018.
"Catch-22" was previously adapted into a 1970 film directed by
Mike Nichols that starred
Alan Arkin, Anthony Perkins, Jon Voight, Orson Welles and
Martin Sheen.
