Suburbicon bombed at the box-office, so George Clooney looks to be retreating to the medium that launched his career – the world of television. According to The Hollywood Reporter he will direct and star in a Paramount produced limited series based on Joseph Heller’s novel Catch-22.
Co-written by Luke Davis (Lion) and David Michod (War Machine), the six part series will see Clooney return to the small screen for the first time since his Emmy nominated role of Dr. Doug Ross in NBC’s ER.
Originally adapted as a 1970’s feature film directed by Mike Nichols, Catch-22 follows the life of Captain John Yossarian, a U.S. Army Air Forces B-25 bombardier. The novel explores the experiences of Yossarian and his fellow airman as they attempt to maintain their sanity while fulfilling their service requirements so that they may return home.
The novel’s title refers to a set of paradoxical requirements whereby airmen mentally unfit to fly did not have to do so, but could not actually be excused. People who were mentally unfit were not obliged to fly missions, but those who applied to stop flying were said to be showing a rational concern for his safety and were therefore sane and had to fly.
The series doesn’t have a network yet, with Paramount Television and Anonymous Content currently shopping it around in a feverish bidding war.
Originally published November 17, 2017. Updated April 18, 2018.
