The Oscar-winning Coen Brothers have always had a knack for jumping from genre to genre, whether it’s a western (“True Grit”), a surreal fantasy-comedy (“Big Lebowski”) or a gangster movie (“Miller’s Crossing”). Now they’re tackling a musical biopic, based on the life of Greenwich Village folkie Dave Van Ronk.
According to the L.A. Times, The duo are working on a screenplay inspired by Van Ronk, a left-leaning folk/blues singer and guitarist who influenced Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell.
Van Ronk died in 2002. His posthumous memoir “The Mayor of MacDougal Street” will 
form the part of the basis for the script.
At a recent Q&A at New York’s Lincoln Center, the Coens said they plan for the film to feature musical performances.
The brothers have made a folk-derived musical before, in the 2000 depression-era film “O Brother, Where Art Thou?,” which starred George Clooney and John Turturro.