AceShowbiz -

Baz Luhrmann has found the leading lady for his "The Great Gatsby" in Carey Mulligan. The filmmaker confirms to Deadline Hollywood that the "An Education" actress is cast as Daisy Buchanan following report that she was the top choice for the role.

"Regarding the role of Daisy Buchanan, I was privileged to explore the character with some of the world's most talented actresses, each one bringing their own particular interpretation, all of which were legitimate and exciting," Luhrmann says in a message to Deadline. "However, specific to this particular production of 'The Great Gatsby', I was thrilled to pick up the phone an hour ago to the young Oscar-nominated British actress Carey Mulligan and say to her: 'Hello, Daisy Buchanan'."

Additionally, the filmmaker who will serve as director, writer as well as producer for the film gives a picture of Mulligan which he took when the actress auditioned for the role of Daisy. The close-up shot captures the blonde beauty sporting a mole near her lips.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire are likely to join Mulligan on the cast line-up as the former has been reportedly attached to portray Jay Gatsby and the latter has been rumored to star as Nick Carraway. The movie is based on a novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald which features a critique of the American Dream pictured in Gatsby's rise to glory and eventual fall from grace.

No start date has been set for "The Great Gatsby" and Luhrmann says there are a few elements that need to be resolved before he states it as his next film. Words are, the "Moulin Rouge!" helmer is currently deciding between "Great Gatsby" and an unknown musical said to be set in New York.