American actor and director George Clooney will produce, co-direct and act in the new series "Catch-22," the star's first regular television role since he left "ER" nearly two decades ago.

The limited series will be just six episodes long, said Amy Powell, president of Paramount Television -- the studio producing the show along with Anonymous Content -- in an interview with entertainment outlet Hollywood Reporter.

Negotiations to stream the series via the online platform Hulu are under way, a source close to the matter told AFP, confirming several US media reports.

The show is an adaptation of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel of the same name, which centers on a squadron of World War II airmen facing a no-win situation to return home.

The 56-year-old Clooney -- a two-time Oscar winner -- will receive about $1 million per episode, according to Powell.

It will be the actor's first recurring role on television since his run on the primetime medical drama show "ER," which launched him to celebrity in the nineties.

Clooney played the doctor Doug Ross before leaving the show in 1999 to embark on his ultimately successful film career. He made a few cameo appearances later on, notably in 2009 for the fifteenth and final season.