The highly reclusive author JD Salinger, who rarely spoke to reporters and gave his last interview in 1980, is the subject of the upcoming biopic Rebel in the Rye, Deadline reports. The biopic traces the making of Salinger’s best-known novel The Catcher in the Rye. Published in 1951 and tracing the experiences of New York teenager Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye is counted as one of the seminal coming-of-age novels.
Nicholas Hoult plays Salinger as a young man wracked by doubt and singed by his wartime experiences. His father (Victor Garber) questions his career choice, while his mentor, Whit Burnett (Kevin Spacey), pushes him to convert a short story about Caulfield into a novel. “Imagine the book that you would want to read, and then go write it,” Burnett tells Salinger.
The biopic has been directed by Danny Strong, whose writing credits include The Butler and the last two films in the Hunger Games franchise. “The film sheds light on the events that shaped the young author, and some of the influential people who he meets in his pursuit of success – namely his mentor Whit Burnett,” said a statement from producer IFC Films. The movie will be released on September 15.