Countdown to J.D. Salinger liftoff

In the first week of September, Shane Salerno and David Shields’ massive biography “Salinger” will go on sale, and before the week is out, the documentary “Salinger,” written and directed by Salerno, will open in more than 200 theaters. When it comes to documentaries, that’s huge -- it’s being positioned to be an art-house blockbuster.

So the teasers are coming. An exclusive USA Today preview Wednesday showcased a never-before-seen photograph of Salinger in uniform with three counterintelligence buddies after the invasion of Normandy.

Salinger “traveled the world and had long-term friendships and relationships,” Salerno tells USA Today. That is, before he became a legendary literary recluse.

Salinger passed away in 2010 at age 91, and afterward, “the floodgates kind of opened” for Salerno. “People had great stories about him, but they never wanted to disappoint him while he was alive.”

Expect more tempting trickles about “Salinger” before the book goes on sale Sept. 3 and the movie opens in theaters Sept. 6.

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