If J.D. Salinger were still alive he would probably not be happy about being the subject of a biopic. Or that said biopic is called Rebel In The Rye. Or that a British actor with very little physical resemblance to the author is playing him.
Alas, Nicholas Hoult (Mad Max: Fury Road)has been cast as Salinger in the Danny Strong-helmed drama, based on Kenneth Slawenski’s biography, J.D. Salinger: A Life. The story chronicles the famously reclusive author’s harrowing days as a WWI army sergeant and the success of his legendary novel Catcher In The Rye. Strong,an actor (Mad Men, Girls) and a screenwriter (Hunger Games) who is best known for co-creating Empire, is a lifelong Salinger fan and purchased the option with his own money. The film was originally titled Salinger’s War but has been renamed for reasons that are unclear.
It’s been a big year for Hoult, who is steadily climbing the mainstream radar as part of the X-Men franchise and for his well-received role in Mad Max: Fury Road. He will next appear as a sociopathic record exec in the British music biz satire Kill Your Friends. Salinger, who died in 2010, appears as a character in the animated Netflix series BoJack Horseman. On the show, Salinger plays the host of the network game show Hollywoo Stars and Celebrities: What do they know? Do they know things?? Let’s find out!
No production start date has yet been set for Rebel In The Rye.
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