Carey Mulligan, the Coen brothers and Spike Jonze

Things have been going very, very well for Carey Mulligan over the past couple of years. And the good news for her is that things look like they’re going to get even better.

26 year old, Mulligan, currently stars in Nicolas Winding Refn’s ultra cool stunt driver flick, Drive with Ryan Gosling and has starred in a string of successful films over the past couple of years (An Education, Public Enemies, Wall Street – Money Never Sleeps and Never Let Me Go – if you’d like a list of them!). And her rapid rise looks set to continue with the news that she looks almost certain to work with Joel and Ethan Coen on their next project – and star in the next Spike Jonze film too!

Rumours suggest that Mulligan is hot favourite to play the female lead in Inside Llewyn Davis, the Coen brothers’ story about a fictional 60s folk musician, loosely based on the life of American folk music guru, Dave Van Ronk.

A talented blues guitarist and left-wing political activist, Van Ronk was a friend and occassional mentor to many New York based folk singers of the 60’s, including artists like Joan Baez, Phil Ochs, Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. The details of Mulligan’s role are sparse, but there’s a possibility it might involve singing.

Details on Spike Jonze’s new project are fairly sketchy too, but the film is rumoured to be a satire, centering on world leaders meeting to discuss major issues ranging from oil prices to imminent war. The film will also star Joaquin Phoenix.

Carey fans will next see her as Daisy in F.Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, which is set for release in December 2012.