Chris Cooper to Play J.D. Salinger; Richarg Gere Joins 'Oppenheimer Strategies'

Great character actor Chris Cooper will portray Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger in the poorly-named coming of age story, Coming Through the Rye. As with most stories dealing with Salinger, this one isn't actually about him, instead it's set in 1969 as two teenagers hit the road to find Salinger, finding friendship along the way. Alex Wolff (Hair Brained) and Stefania Owen (The Lovely Bones) star, with writer/director Jim Sadwith basing the story on his own experiences with Salinger.

Richard Gere will take the lead in Oppenheimer Strategies, produced by Oren Moverman (Rampart) with Joseph Cedar writing and directing. Gere will play "Norman Oppenheimer who - on the verge of vanishing into obscurity - charms a rising Israeli politician Micha Esher who ascends to prime minister three years later. Once elevated into his inner circle, however, Oppenheimer is faced with tough decisions when the state of world politics is threatened." [ScreenDaily]

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Danny Strong to Make Directorial Debut with J.D. Salinger Biopic 'Salinger's War'

As a devoted follower of all things Buffy, it's still a little hard to believe that poor, pathetic Jonathan is now an award-winning screenwriter. Jonathan was played by Danny Strong, who wrote Recount, Lee Daniels' The Butler, and Game Change for which he won an Emmy and Golden Globe. He's since made the step up to penning blockbusters with The Hunger Games: Mockingjay and Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol, and next on the list is making his directorial debut on a biopic of writer J.D. Salinger.

THR reports Strong will direct Salinger's War, which he'll adapt from Kenneth Slawenski's book, J.D. Salinger: A Life. Published in 2012, the book recounts the writer's early days trying to make his name in New York's literary circle of the 1940s, his rise to prominence after Catcher in the Rye, his time fighting in WWII and how those experiences changed his writing.

Other than The Butler, which Daniels co-wrote, I've been fully impressed by all of Strong's screenplays and am looking forward to seeing what he can do behind the camera. More interesting will be who they get to play Salinger, an author who did his best to avoid the public spotlight.

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