The Coen brothers’ next film is switching it up from the Wild West to West 4th Street. Inside Llewyn Davis, about a struggling folk musician during the height of the 1960s New York-based scene, has officially been greenlighted by the sibling directors, who will write, direct, and produce it. This will be the Coen’s follow-up film to 2010’s True Grit remake, though there is no scheduled release date yet.
The film’s title character is based loosely on Dave Van Ronk, one of the stars of the Greenwich Village folk scene. An often underappreciated folk and blues guitarist, Van Ronk was a well-known figure in Village coffee shops and night clubs, earning him the title “The Mayor of MacDougal Street.” Though today his musical legacy is largely eclipsed by his folkie protégés (most famously a young Minnesotan named Bob Dylan), thanks to the Coen brothers Van Ronk may finally get his due recognition… as Llewyn Davis.
