Clooney will direct and star in the serialised adaptation of Joseph Heller’s darkly comedic 1961 novel

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

George Clooney will make his return to television in a serialised adaptation of Catch-22, Paramount Television revealed on Thursday.

Clooney, who left hit medical drama ER nearly 20 years ago, will direct and star in the six-episode series, based on US author Joseph Heller’s darkly comedic 1961 novel of the same name.

The series will begin shooting in early 2018 for Viacom Inc’s Paramount Television and Anonymous Content, but has not yet been acquired by a network for distribution.

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Set in Italy during the second world war, Catch-22 follows a US soldier named Yossarian, whose army keeps raising the number of missions that a soldier must complete in order to be released from duty. In an infuriating bureaucratic paradox called a “catch-22” – a phrase coined in Heller’s text – Yossarian’s only way to avoid the missions is to declare insanity, but by indicating unwillingness to embark on dangerous missions he demonstrates a rational, sane mind.

Clooney, 56, will play Yossarian’s commander Colonel Cathcart, and direct alongside his producing partner Grant Heslov. The show has been co-written and executive produced by Luke Davies and David Michôd. No other cast members have been announced.

Clooney broke out as an actor on TV series such as The Facts of Life and Roseanne, but it was his role as Dr Doug Ross, in the original cast of ER, which won him two Emmys and three Golden Globes.

Since leaving ER in 1999 for the film industry, Clooney has been nominated for eight Academy Awards for writing, directing and acting, and won two. The actor’s move to television is the latest in a long line of Oscar-winning stars who have recently moved to the small screen, including Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Julia Roberts, Robert De Niro and Michael Douglas.

Reuters contributed to this report