Kevin Spacey has joined the cast of 'Rebel In The Rye'.

Kevin Spacey

Kevin Spacey

Spacey has signed up to star in the film which is based on Kenneth Slawenski's biography 'J. D. Salinger: A Life' and stars Nicholas Hoult as the titular American writer.

'The Butler' writer Danny Strong adapted the biopic and Hoult, 26, will portray the American writer - real name Jerome David Salinger - during his formative years, when he was notoriously secretive and wrote his most famous work, 'Catcher In The Rye', written in 1951.

As well as chronicle how he came to write the iconic tome, the movie will be partly set during his time spent fighting in World War II in the 1940s and focus on his love life as well as his battle with editors to get his short stories published in The New Yorker.

Spacey is set to play his mentor, College professor Whit Burnet who taught at Columbia in New York and was the editor of a magazine called Story.

He takes a young Salinger under his wing during a time when he is suffering from chronic writer's block, and helps him grow and find his voice as a writer.

Spacey is currently working on 'Billionaire Boys Club' and will also be seen opposite Michael Shannon in 'Elvis & Nixon' due out in April.


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