Christopher Abbott has signed on to play the lead role in the “Catch-22” series adaptation at Hulu.
The six-part limited series is based on Joseph Heller’s classic novel of the same name. Set in Italy during World War II, the story focuses on Capt. John Yossarian (Abbott), a US Air Force bombardier who is furious because the bureaucratic rule known as Catch-22, 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.
Abbott will star alongside George Clooney, who is set to play Col. Cathcart in addition to serving as executive producer and co-director. Clooney’s producing partner, Grant Heslov, will also direct a portion of the series in addition to executive producing.
Abbott recently starred in the hit USA Network series “The Sinner” and previously appeared in Lena Dunham’s critically-acclaimed HBO series “Girls.” He is also known for his roles in films like “A Most Violent Year” and “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.” He is also set to appear in the Damien Chazelle Neil Armstrong biopic “First Man” opposite Ryan Gosling.
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He is repped by CAA and Management360.
All six episodes were co-written by Luke Davies and David Michôd, who will also executive produce. Richard Brown and Steve Golin will executive produce for Anonymous Content along with Clooney and Heslov under their Smokehouse Pictures banner. The series will be produced by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.
The series will mark Clooney’s first regular television role since he broke out on the medical drama “E.R.” in the early 1990s. “Catch-22” was previously adapted into a film in 1970 starring Alan Arkin as Yossarian and Martin Balsam as Cathcart. Mike Nichols directed the film with Buck Henry adapting the novel for the screen.
