George Clooney making Hulu series Catch 22, casts lead star

George Clooney is coming to Hulu, adapting the Joseph Heller novel Catch 22 for the streaming service.

For those unfamiliar with Catch 22, the novel is a satire set in World War II. The story follows a bombardier in Italy named Yossarian, a man who is angry because so many people are trying to kill him while his own Army is increasing the missions all the men have to fly during the war.

The “Catch 22” of the title refers to a bureaucratic rule that states that any man willing to fly dangerous combat missions is considered insane, but if anyone tries to opt out of the missions, it proves they are sane and can’t be relieved from the mission duties.

More from Show Snob

• The Santa Clauses season 2, episode 6 recap “Wanga Banga Langa!”
• Lawmen: Bass Reeves season 1, episode 7 preview: Non-spoiler thoughts for Part VII
• Goosebumps season 1, episode 6 recap: “Night of the Living Dummy”
• Beacon 23 season 1, episode 3 recap: “Why Can’t We Go on as Three?”
• Upload season 3, episode 2 recap: “Strawberry”

According to Variety, Clooney has signed Christopher Abbott to star as John Yossarian in the Catch 22 Hulu series. Abbott has appeared in a number of quality movies, including It Comes at Night, A Most Violent Year, and Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. He also has a recurring role in the HBO series Girls.

Clooney will also star in Catch 22 as Col. Cathcart, the antagonist from the novel. Cathcart is so obsessed with becoming a general that he will do anything — including upping his men’s missions to complete the tour of duty. Everytime that Yossarian nears completion of his required missions to get to go home, Cathcart raises the required number.

Catch 22 will be a six-part Hulu miniseries and is Clooney’s first move back to television in a recurring role since he broke out in ER and left TV for Hollywood.

Next: Women's History Month: 15 most influential women on TV

This isn’t the first time that someone has adapted Catch 22. Mike Nichols (The Graduate) adapted it back in 1970 with Alan Arkin (Argo) starring as Yossarian and Martin Balsam (Psycho) as Col. Cathcart. The movie also starred other huge names like Charles Grodin, Bob Newhart, Martin Sheen, Orson Welles and Jon Voight.

A television pilot also aired on CBS in 1973 with Richard Dreyfuss (Close Encounters of the Third Kind) as Yossarian.

There is no set release date for the George Clooney Catch 22 adaptation for Hulu.