Actor and Emmy Award-winning screenwriter Danny Strong will make his directorial debut with the biopic Salinger’s War, about the turbulent and fascinating life of legendary Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger. In addition to chronicling his early years as a struggling writer, the film focuses on Salinger’s experiences fighting in World War II, which shaped him both personally and as a writer.

Strong used his own money to option Kenneth Slawenski’s book, J.D. Salinger: A Life, and he also wrote the screenplay. His other high-profile screenplays include Lee Daniels’ The Butler and the upcoming third and fourth installments of The Hunger Games. As an actor, Strong is best known for his roles in Sea Biscuit and Dangerous Minds. Most recently, he has appeared in the TV series Girls.

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