When adapting a legendary piece of literature to the big screen, a constant problem is meeting the quality and expectations of its origin. These works are often deemed “unfilmable”, and the examples range from “Watchmen” to “Fahrenheit 451.” Among the unfilmable is “Catch-22″ which was attempted in 1970 by director Mike Nichols with an all-star ensemble, but was met with a mixed response. The book itself, Joseph Heller’s seminal World War II satire, is a complex cornerstone of popular culture. Even the phrase “Catch-22” means a problem that can’t be solved due to the circumstance of such a problem. Thus, trying to cinematically adapt “Catch-22” is, inherently, a Catch-22.
READ MORE: The 50 Most Anticipated Shows & Seris Of 2019
Maybe television is the solution, as Hulu sees promise in making it apart of the limited-series trend. The talent assembled surely elevates the stature of an already monumental title. George Clooney stars, directs, and produces the series – his first return to television since the days of “ER”. He helms the first two episodes before handing off the reigns to Ellen Kuras and Grant Heslov. Joining Clooney in the ensemble cast is an impressive mix of American, British, and Italian actors: Christopher Abbott, Kyle Chandler, Hugh Laurie, Giancarlo Giannini to name a few.
READ MORE: The Best TV Shows & Mini-Series’ of 2018
The powerful, but oddly matched pair of David Michod and Luke Davies are responsible for adapting the novel. Davies has deservedly earned acclaim for his own novels and screenplay work for “Lion” and “Beautiful Boy.” Michod’s last attempt at wartime satire (Netflix’s “War Machine”) was…interesting, to say the least, but far from successful. Their pairing indicates a balancing act of the dark comedy of Heller’s prose, along with its serious, weighty subtext.
While often not the case, the “unfilmable” can be filmed with great success. Recently, Barry Jenkins executed the task with “If Beale Street Could Talk” through a distinct, creative approach. It will take a similar strain of creativity to make “Catch-22” the series stand out from the source material.
“Catch-22” premieres on Hulu May 17.
