Hugh Laurie has joined the cast of George Clooney's upcoming miniseries adaptation of the classic novel Catch-22. Clooney, who is directing certain episodes of the Hulu series, will also star. Only three actors have been cast for the World War II-set miniseries at this point, but what we know so far is promising.
Deadline broke the story of Hugh Laurie's casting earlier today. There has been no official word on what role Laurie will play in the highly-anticipated series. That said, we can rule out the roles of Colonel Cathcart, who will be played by George Clooney, and central character Yossarian, who will be played by Christopher Abbott of The Sinner. One of the most likely candidates for Laurie to play is Doc Daneeka, a friend of Yossarian's in the novel. Daneeka is the one who explains "Catch-22" to Yossarian and the implications of it on his service.
Catch-22 will be a six-episode adaptation of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel of the same name. This is not the book's first adaptation. There was a film version starring Alan Arkin that was released in 1970. The new miniseries treatment has been adapted by Luke Davies, whose credits include the Oscar-nominated film Lion, and David Michôd, the writer and director of the crime drama Animal Kingdom. Michôd is no stranger to military films. He also directed the Netflix original War Machine starring Brad Pitt.
Catch-22 is set in the similar satirical bent of Michôd's previous feature. The story follows John Yossarian (Christopher Abbot), a B-25 bombardier in the U.S. Army, who is serving off the Italian coast in the midst of World War II. As the number of flights that pilots are assigned and forced to take to complete their service increases, Yossarian finds himself caught in the "Catch-22" of a rule that pushes the bounds of all credulity, honor, and sanity.
If Laurie is playing Doc Daneeka, then the role marks a continuing theme for Hugh Laurie's career. As fans know, he is commonly cast as a doctor. Laurie is fresh off his role as the eponymous neuropsychiatrist Dr. Eldon Chance on the recently-canceled Hulu series Chance. Likewise, the British actor rose to fame on the American side of the pond with the Fox series House, where he played the cantankerous titular character, Dr. Gregory House. House proved to be a longer-running role for Laurie than Chance. The Fox series ran for eight seasons, while the Hulu series only lasted two.
Given his filmography, Hugh Laurie starring opposite George Clooney as Doc Daneeka would be a natural fit. A premiere date has not been given for Catch-22. Filming is set to begin sometime this year. It is probably unlikely that it will premiere on Hulu before the end of the year. In the meantime, there are a lot of other shows to keep you busy on Hulu and elsewhere. For more on what is coming to Hulu and other outlets in 2018, you can check out our midseason premiere schedule and our summer TV premiere guide.
