Oscar Isaac to star in Coen brothers film

IsaacThe Coen brothers will shoot 'Inside Llewyn Davis' next year in NY.After a thorough search, "Drive" thesp Oscar Isaac has emerged as the Coen brothers' choice to star in their next film, the folk music pic "Inside Llewyn Davis."StudioCanal is set to co-finance the Scott Rudin-produced pic, which will be made without a domestic distribution partner.Story focuses on the folk music scene in Greenwich Village in the 1960s and the title character is loosely based on Dave Van Ronk, a folk singer who was friends with Bob Dylan, among other famous musicians.Isaac is in talks to play Llewyn Davis, a struggling folk musician born and bred in Queens. Despite being a talented singer and guitarist, he just can't seem to make ends meet playing music.Robert Graf ("True Grit") will exec produce, while StudioCanal will handle international sales and distribute the film in France, as well as several other territories. Production is skedded for early next year in Gotham, where the Coens have never really made a movie despite residing there.Isaac will soon be seen as a key character in Tony Gilroy's "The Bourne Legacy," though he initially tested for the lead role that Jeremy Renner ended up getting. Thesp co-stars alongside Channing Tatum in the high school reunion drama "Ten Year," which sees him perform a song that he wrote specifically for the film. He also plays a ukulele-playing teacher opposite Maggie Gyllenhaal in Fox/Walden Media's drama "Learning to Fly."Like the Coens, Isaac is repped by UTA, as well as Inspire Entertainment. Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com