If you’ve been paying attention, you probably already know that Oscar Isaac is poised to be a major star. The actor has already logged time with folks like Steven Soderbergh (“Che“), Ridley Scott (“Body Of Lies,” “Robin Hood“) and Alejandro Amenábar (“Agora“) but 2011 is proving to be banner year. Of course, we don’t need to tell you that even in his small role in “Drive” his presence impressed, and he even managed to come out smelling like roses as one of the few pleasures in the otherwise dreadful “Sucker Punch.” And later this year, he’ll be seen in Madonna‘s awards season baiter “W.E.” Tony Gilroy wanted him to take the lead role in “The Bourne Legacy,” but when that went to Jeremy Renner, he found the actor a meaty co-starring role instead. But now, Isaac is lining up what may just be the biggest role of his career.
With the Coen Brothers going the indie route for their upcoming “Inside Llewyn Davis,” they aren’t beholden to studios or anybody else and can damn well cast whoever they want, and Deadline reports they’ve selected Isaac to lead their film. Though plot details are under lock and key, the film will be loosely based on the life of Dave van Ronk, an American folk singer who presided over the Greenwich Village scene in the 1960s, which give birth to a new wave of artists that included Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and Joni Mitchell. For Isaac, it won’t be anything new to sing in a film. In fact, in the upcoming “Ten Year” which we caught at TIFF, he not only plays a musician, but he writes and sings a key song in the movie.
We’re always pretty excited when we see talented actors rewarded, and Isaac is certainly an actor who deserves bigger and better things to come his way, so we’re pretty stoked at this news. The Coens are currently casting up and this is just the start of what will likely be a host of thesps coming aboard as “Inside Llewyn Davis” gears up start shooting in early 2012 in New York.
