George Clooney to direct and star in ‘Good Morning, Midnight’ for Netflix

George Clooney has signed on to direct and star in “Good Morning, Midnight” for Netflix. It will be his first project with the streaming service.

Clooney and Smokehouse Pictures’ Grant Heslov will produce the adaptation of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s novel, “which follows a lonely scientist in the Arctic, as he races to make contact with the crew of a spacecraft as they try to return home to Earth,” according to a description from Netflix.

“Grant and I couldn’t be more excited to be involved with this incredible project,” Clooney told Variety. “Mark is a writer we’ve long admired and his script is haunting. We’re thrilled to be working with our friends at Netflix as well.”

The story is a sci-fi thriller, and was named one of the best books of 2017 by the Chicago Review of Books. Clooney will play the lead scientist. Scott Stuber, head of Netflix’s film division, said: “Having known and worked with George for over two decades, I can’t think of anyone better to bring this amazing story to life. The book is powerful and moving, and Mark’s adaptation is beautifully written. At its core, this is a story about human nature, and one that I know our global audiences will fall in love with, just like I did when I read it.”

Clooney recently executive produced, appeared in, and directed a few episodes of Hulu’s “Catch-22.” The film, which does not yet have a title, will begin production in October.