X-Men star Nicholas Hoult cast as enigmatic author J.D. Salinger in new biopic about the writer of Catcher In The Rye

By Rachel Mcgrath For Dailymail.com

Published: 16:18 EST, 31 August 2015 | Updated: 18:10 EST, 31 August 2015

Nicholas Hoult has been tapped to play secretive author J. D. Salinger in a new biopic.

The British actor, 25, will star in Rebel In The Rye, which will tell the story of how Salinger came to write his famous 1951 novel about teenage angst and alienation.

'The Catcher in the Rye is a classic coming-of-age story which continues to make a significant impression six generations later,' Alex Walton of production company Bloom said in announcing the news. 'The world has long been fascinated with J.D. Salinger, whom the talented Nicholas Hoult will bring to life in this enigmatic role.'

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Leading man: Nicholas Hoult, 25, will star as enigmatic author J. D. Salinger in a new biopic exploring the writer's life and the experiences that shaped him
Leading man: Nicholas Hoult, 25, will star as enigmatic author J. D. Salinger in a new biopic exploring the writer's life and the experiences that shaped him

Leading man: Nicholas Hoult, 25, will star as enigmatic author J. D. Salinger in a new biopic exploring the writer's life and the experiences that shaped him

Hoult found fame when he co-starred with Hugh Grant in the 2002 film About A Boy.

He has gone on to have roles in the X-Men movies, Jack The Giant Slayer and Mad Max: Fury Road and his newest movie, the sci-fi romance Equals with Kristen Stewart, Guy Pearce and Jacki Weaver, have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. 

Hoult is also famous for having dated his X-Men co-star Jennifer Lawrence from 2011 to 2014.

Rising star: The British actor has starred in two X-Men movies, Mad Max:Fury Road and Young Ones and dated actress Jennifer Lawrence for three years until their split in 2014

Rising star: The British actor has starred in two X-Men movies, Mad Max:Fury Road and Young Ones and dated actress Jennifer Lawrence for three years until their split in 2014

Rebel In The Rye will be written and directed by Danny Strong, 41,an actor and screenwriter who created the Emmy-winning HBO movie Game Change and wrote the scripts for the two Hunger Games: Mockingjay films.

He also wrote the screenplay for Lee Daniels' The Butler and is a writer and director for Daniels' blockbuster series Empire.

The biopic will mark Strong's feature directorial debut.

Feature debut: Danny Strong, who is a writer and director on the Fox series Empire, will direct Rebel In The Rye from his own screenplay. He's pictured on the Empire set in an Instagram post

Feature debut: Danny Strong, who is a writer and director on the Fox series Empire, will direct Rebel In The Rye from his own screenplay. He's pictured on the Empire set in an Instagram post

The film will explore Salinger's life from his rebellious youth to his experiences on the front lines during World War Two.

The native New Yorker was born in 1919 and was part of the Allied forces that took part in the Normandy landings on D-day. He was also among the American troops that liberated the Nazi concentration camps in Germany.

The film will also document the great loves and losses in his life and how he overcame rejection to write one of the seminal literary classics of all time.

The reclusive Salinger died in 2010 at the age of 91.

In 2013, a documentary by Shane Salerno about Salinger's life was released by The Weinstein Company. 

Influential: Salinger's 1951 novel about teenage angst and alienation was shaoped by his wartime experiences and is a literary classic still widely read today

Influential: Salinger's 1951 novel about teenage angst and alienation was shaoped by his wartime experiences and is a literary classic still widely read today

 

 

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