George Clooney’s ‘Catch-22’ Trailer Explains the ‘Catch’ in ‘Catch-22’ (Video)

Adaptation of Joseph Heller’s World War II novel launches May 17 on Hulu

“That’s some catch, that Catch-22.” You said it, Yossarian.

Hulu dropped the trailer for its upcoming adaptation of the classic Joseph Heller novel “Catch-22” Wednesday morning, revealing the titular problem at hand for everyone in the George Clooney-led World War II limited series. The dilemma being, you can only get grounded if you’re crazy — but as soon as you ask to get out of combat duty, you’re no longer crazy, so you have to fly more missions.

According to the doctor that Yossarian (Christopher Abbott) is trying to get help from in the trailer above, it’s “the best catch there is.”

Based on Heller’s novel, “Catch-22” is the story of the incomparable artful dodger Yossarian, a U.S. Air Force bombardier in World War II who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. However, his real problem is not the enemy, but rather his own army, which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. If Yossarian makes any attempt to avoid his military assignments, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule which specifies that a concern for one’s own safety in the face of real and immediate danger 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.

Along with Clooney and Abbott, the “Catch-22” cast includes Kyle Chandler, Hugh Laurie, Giancarlo Giannini, Daniel David Stewart, Rafi Gavron, Austin Stowell, Graham Patrick Martin, Gerran Howell, Jon Rudnitsky, Kevin J. O’Connor, Pico Alexander, Tessa Ferrer, Lewis Pullman, Josh Bolt, Jay Paulson, Julie Ann Emery and Grant Heslov.

“Catch-22” is executive produced by Clooney and Heslov on behalf of Smokehouse Pictures, along with Richard Brown and the late Steve Golin on behalf of Anonymous Content. Luke Davies and David Michôd are co-writers and executive producers for the series. The six-part limited series from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content is directed by Clooney, Heslov and Ellen Kuras, who also serves as producer. Each directed two episodes.

“Catch-22” launches May 17 on Hulu.

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