Zoey Deutch has landed the sought-after role of Oona O’Neill in Danny Strong’s Rebel In The Rye, the biopic that follows author J.D. Salinger as he prepares to write his classic novel Catcher In The Rye. Nicholas Hoult stars as Salinger and Kevin Spacey is already aboard as are Laura Dern, Brian D’Arcy James and Hope Davis.
Oona O’Neill was the daughter of playwright Eugene O’Neill and the toast of the New York City social scene, a fixture in gossip columns. She and a young Salinger dated and had a tumultuous relationship.
Black Label Media is financing the movie, which is based on Kenneth Slawenki’s biography J.D. Salinger: A Life. Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill and Thad Luckinbill are producing with Bruce Cohen, Jason Shuman and Strong.
Deutch recently wrapped production on Awesomeness Films’ Before I Fall based on Lauren Oliver’s YA novel. She’s currently shooting Why Him? opposite James Franco and Bryan Cranston which Fox has slated for a December 25 now, and she’s next up in Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some which kicks off SXSW on Friday night ahead of an April bow via Paramount.
She is repped by CAA and Gilbertson Entertainment.
Source: DEADLINE
