Remaking a great film is almost always a bad idea, but remaking a not-so-great, in-and-out one…maybe.

This was surely the idea behind translating Joseph Heller‘s “Catch 22” into a Hulu miniseries or, if you will, improving upon Mike Nichols’ 1970 screen version.

Hollywood Elsewhere agrees that Nichols’ 122-minute film is less than perfect — it’s not especially “funny” (especially when Orson Welles and Bob Newhart are around) and feels a bit stiff and all wrapped up in itself, but (a) a lot of it works (like the opening sunrise credit sequence), (b) David Watkins‘ cinematography is fairly wonderful, and (c) it contains some perfectly choreographed sequences that are still delicious, 50 years on.

Clooney’s miniseries will pop on 5.17.19. I can’t seem to discover how many hours it will run.

A slimmed-down Christopher Abbott (he was on the rotund side four years ago) will play Cpt. John Yossarian (Alan Arkin). Kyle Chandler is Colonel Cathcart (Martin Balsam). Hugh Laurie is Major de Coverley (skipped over in the 1970 film). Clooney is playing Scheisskopf, whoever the hell that is. Daniel David Stewart is Milo (Jon Voight). Austin Stowell plays Nately (Art Garfunkel). Rafi Gavron as Aarfy (Charles Grodin). Graham Patrick Martin portrays Orr (Bob Balaban). Lewis Pullman is Major Major (Newhart). Tessa Ferrer as Nurse Duckett (Paula Prentiss). Jay Paulson as Chaplain Tappman (Anthony Perkins).