On September 6, 2017, the highly anticipated New York City premiere of Danny Strong’s biographical film on JD Salinger “Rebel in the Rye” is scheduled to take place. Expect a star-studded red carpet evening with potential celebrity appearances by Zoey Deutsch, Nicholas Hoult and Kevin Spacey. Previously featured at the Sundance film Festival, Rebel in the Rye explores the mysterious life of JD Salinger, author of iconic novel The Catcher in the Rye. Not the first film to explore Salinger’s enigmatic character but certainly the most contemporary. Danny Strong (the film’s screenwriter & director) is best known for his acting roles as Jonathan Levinson in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Doyle McMaster in Gilmore girls. As a writer, however, he is also credited with the screenplays for the Hunger Games: Mockingjay Parts 1 and 2 as well as several episodes for the TV series Empire. Multi-talented Mr. Strong has received some of the highest levels of recognition — as the winner of two Emmy Awards, two Writers Guild of America Awards and an NAACP Image Award amongst other numerous awards and achievements. Perhaps it is Mr. Strong with whom we should be fascinated with rather than reclusive one hit wonder Salinger. Without a doubt, Strong took on a challenge with Rebel in the Rye. So far reviews have been mixed but generally positive. Not unexpectedly, exploring the mind one of the literary world’s most enigmatic figures is no mean feat. As an aside, JD Salinger’s daughter Margaret A. Salinger wrote a book called Dream Catcher which detailed her famous father’s eccentricities.
Rebel in the Rye is scheduled for release in limited theaters on September 8, 2017. The film’s cast includes Zoey Deutsch as Oona O’Neill, Sarah Paulson as Dorothy Olding, Kevin Spacey as Whit Burnett and Nicholas Holt as JD Salinger.
