Producers Rob Cohen (The Fast and the Furious) and Gene Kirkwood (Rocky) are looking to turn the life of Sir Isaac Newton into an action film for the new studio BiteSize Entertainment, which was unveiled during the Cannes Film Festival this year.  Though known primarily through his work describing universal gravitation and the three laws of motion (and apocryphally as the man who had an apple fall on his head that lead to these discoveries), what is less known about Sir Isaac Newton is his time spent both as chief detective and head of the British Mint, a position the famous scientist held for the last 30 years of his life.

It is this latter period that Cohen is looking to base his original screenplay on.  The movie will be paired with a graphic novel detailing Newton’s life, which will also be overseen by Cohen to help booster the film’s profile.  For more on the little-known eccentricities of Sir Isaac (such as his pirate-like personal coat of arms) as well as the future of BiteSize films, hit the jump.

David Lean has been canonized as one of the great directors, an honor that he’s earned, even if his body of work is inconsistent. If his later years were less good, and some of his earlier films are weak, it doesn’t matter. He directed Lawrence of Arabia and Bridge on the River Kwai. The Criterion collection has brought together his first four films, and they were all adaptations of Noel Coward’s work (hence the title David Lean “Directs Noel Coward”). The films are In Which We Serve, This Happy Breed, Blithe Spirit and Brief Encounter. And our review of the Blu-ray set of David Lean Directs Noel Coward follows after the jump.

“Based on a play by Noel Coward.” That’s a statement that’s got some oomph. Coward’s long been held as a master of wit, with plays like Blithe Spirit, Design for Living and Private Lives still well known long after his death. The film Easy Virtue is based on a play by Coward, and takes some of the design of his play, but it’s obvious that this is a modern redress, which is both interesting and not. My review after the jump.

Opening tomorrow, in limited release, is “Easy Virtue”. It’s the new film from director Stephen Elliott (“Priscilla Queen of the Desert”) and it’s an adaptation of Noel Coward’s play. Starring is Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Ben Barnes.

I managed to see “Easy Virtue” a few weeks back and was quite surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Not only are the performances great across the board (yes…even Jessica Biel), but the script was really funny and not at all what I expected. While we’ve all seen plenty of movies that take place in the roaring 20′s, “Easy Virtue” seemed fresh.

Anyway, to help promote the film, we’ve been given 5 clips and the trailer. They’re all after the jump so take a look. Also, later tonight look for my exclusive video interview with Sheridan Jobbins and director Stephen Elliott. He explains why he’s been away from making movies for so long.