By Ray Pride Pride@moviecitynews.com

Salinger Film Reedited For National Release In 62 Cities

Posted Wednesday, September 18th, 2013 - Comments Off on Salinger Film Reedited For National Release In 62 Cities
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NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN MATERIAL ADDED TO SALINGER DOCUMENTARY FOR NATIONAL RELEASE

WEINSTEIN COMPANY ALSO DEVELOPING LIVE ACTION J.D. SALINGER BIOPIC

New York, NY (September 18, 2013) – The Weinstein Company (TWC) announced today that their latest documentary release, SALINGER, will have a special edition debuted for its national release on Friday, September 20. The film, which opened in New York and Los Angeles on September 6, will feature new, never-before-seen material about Salinger’s life, his complex relationships with young women, and footage of the iconic author added for its 62-city theatrical expansion. TWC also announced that they are partnering with SALINGER director/producer Shane Salerno on developing a feature film adaptation of the documentary. The company has long been extremely interested in Salerno’s extensive research on the renowned author and feels the material will make for an incredible live action narrative. TWC and Salerno plan to focus the film on the period in Salinger’s life between his service in World War II and the publishing of Catcher in the Rye, examining the effects war can have on an artist. Salerno is already signed on to pen the film’s screenplay.

SALINGER topped per screen grosses at the specialty box office in its opening weekend, grossing a $22,742 per screen. Salerno and David Shield’s companion book, also titled SALINGER, likewise had a successful debut as number six on The New York Times bestseller list.

“This documentary has been an incredible journey and truly epitomizes what it means to be a passion project,” said Salerno. “I’m beyond excited to share more of the fascinating material we discovered in its new special edition, and look forward to continuing my relationship with Harvey and TWC in developing a narrative film about this brilliant, intriguing man.”

Commented TWC Co-Chairman Harvey Weinstein: “Shane has created an amazing documentary about one of the most beloved but enigmatic literary figures of our time. We are glad he was able to take the opportunity to add fantastic new footage. We greatly look forward to sharing the new edition with audiences and developing a Salinger feature with him.”

ABOUT THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

The Weinstein Company (TWC) is a multimedia production and distribution company launched in October 2005 by Bob and Harvey Weinstein, the brothers who founded Miramax Films in 1979. TWC also encompasses Dimension Films, the genre label founded in 1993 by Bob Weinstein, which has released such popular franchises as SCREAM, SPY KIDS and SCARY MOVIE. Together TWC and Dimension Films have released a broad range of mainstream, genre and specialty films that have been commercial and critical successes.  TWC releases took home eight 2012 Academy Awards®, the most wins in the studio’s history. The tally included Best Picture for Michel Hazanavicius’s THE ARTIST and Best Documentary Feature for TJ Martin and Dan Lindsay’s UNDEFEATED. THE ARTIST brought TWC its second consecutive Best Picture statuette following the 2011 win for Tom Hooper’s THE KING’S SPEECH.

Since 2005, TWC and Dimension Films have released such films as GRINDHOUSE; 1408; I’M NOT THERE; THE GREAT DEBATERS; VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA; THE READER; THE ROAD; HALLOWEEN; THE PAT TILLMAN STORY; PIRANHA 3D; INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS; A SINGLE MAN; BLUE VALENTINE; THE COMPANY MEN; MIRAL; SCRE4M; SUBMARINE; DIRTY GIRL; APOLLO 18; OUR IDIOT BROTHER; I DON’T KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT; SARAH’S KEY; SPY KIDS: ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD IN 4D; MY WEEK WITH MARILYN; THE IRON LADY; W.E.; CORIOLANUS; UNDEFEATED; THE ARTIST; BULLY; THE INTOUCHABLES; LAWLESS; KILLING THEM SOFTLY; THE MASTER; SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK; DJANGO UNCHAINED; QUARTET; ESCAPE FROM PLANET EARTH; DARK SKIES; THE SAPPHIRES; SCARY MOVIE 5; and KON-TIKI. Currently in release are UNFINISHED SONG and FRUITVALE STATION, LEE DANIELS’ THE BUTLER, THE GRANDMASTER and SALINGER. Upcoming releases include MANDELA: LONG WALK TO FREEDOM and AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY.

 

TWC is active in television production, led by former Miramax Films President of Production Meryl Poster. TWC is the studio behind such hit television series as the Emmy® nominated and Peabody Award winning reality series PROJECT RUNWAY and its spin-off series PROJECT RUNWAY ALL STARS and PROJECT ACCESSORY; the VH1 reality series MOB WIVES and its spin-off series MOB WIVES CHICAGO and BIG ANG; and the critically acclaimed scripted HBO comedy/crime series THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY which also received a Peabody Award. The company is in production on the upcoming TLC series WELCOME TO MYRTLE MANOR, the A&E series RODEO QUEENS, and the Lifetime reality competition show SUPERMARKET SUPERSTAR hosted by Stacy Keibler.  Among TWC’s other projects in development for television are the martial-arts epic MARCO POLO for Starz, an untitled private eye procedural for FX, and THE NANNY DIARIES developed by ABC with a pilot by Amy Sherman Palladino.

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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?

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I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.

So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.

But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”

My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
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~ David Simon