Welcome to another edition of On the Radar where we delve into all corners of the entertainment, tech and geek Internets for news, views and whatnot that may have escaped our regular coverage during the week. Let is know if we missed something interesting.

Let’s get started!

• Now that Transformers 3 has made some of the most money in theaters this year, a few people are claiming that Michael Bay ripped himself off with re-rendered scenes from The Island.

• Who needs new formulas when we’ve got something as classic and plentiful as the Final Destination franchise. Here’s an example with the newest trailer for #5.

• Ladies, swimsuit season is right around the corner, and with these Monster Bikinis, you’ll definitely be the talk of the geeky town.

• Forbes recently uncovered that Sarah Jessica Parker is the highest paid actress in Hollywood. The weird part is that she’s only payed in sugar cubes and carrots…

• Sad to see a few favorites on this list, but here are the top 10 biggest flops of 2011 so far. (We still have to get through Captain America)

• Jon Hamm is a man of many emotions, and you can see them all in the Jon Hamm Emotions Challenge!

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It’s kinda funny. I was just watching Rodney Dangerfield and Keith Gordon in Back to School only days ago and now, some Keith Gordon news pops up. Internets, you’re got my number.

And what interesting news it is. It seems Christopher Nolan, who’s only done this one other time with Zack Snyder’s upcoming Superman reboot Man of Steel, has decided to shepherd a project and produce a film for another director. That director? None other than keith Gordon. I know, right?

Nolan’s company, Syncopy, has reportedly set up a supernatural thriller at Warner Bros and hired Gordon to write and direct it. Nolan’s former assistant Jordan Goldberg is apparently the guy responsible for bringing the project to Nolan so he can produce with partner Emma Thomas.

The project is reportedly based on a novel who’s title has yet to be revealed. However, knowing the movies Gordon likes to do (Including A Midnight Clear and Mother Night) I would expect it to be something cool and a little weird. As a fan of Gordon’s work, I’ll be following this one closely.

Even though the premise of the upcoming film Warrior is a bit hard to believe (the two people fighting in the “big fight” at the end of the movie are actually brothers) that doesn’t mean we’re not interested. Especially because we happen to be big fans of actor Tom Hardy around The Flickcast offices.

His previous work in films like Bronson and Inception have proven his ability and mark him as an actor to watch. Plus, he’s playing a signifcant role in Christopher Nolan’s upcoming third Batman film so naturally, we’re going to be keeping track of him.

Next up for Hardy is Warrior, an action drama from director Gavin O’Connor, whose previous film Miracle shows he knows his way around sports action movies. Here’s some info on the film as well as a brand new poster for it after the jump.

Haunted by a tragic past, former Marine Tommy Conlon (Hardy) returns home for the first time in fourteen years to enlist the help of his father (Nick Nolte) to train for SPARTA, the biggest winner-takes-all event in mixed martial arts history. A former wrestling prodigy, Tommy blazes a path toward the championship while his brother, Brendan (Joel Edgerton), an ex-fighter-turned teacher, returns to the ring in a desperate bid to save his family from financial ruin.

But when Brendan’s unlikely, underdog rise sets him on a collision course with the unstoppable Tommy, the two brothers must finally confront each other and the forces that pulled them apart, facing off in the most soaring, soul stirring, and unforgettable climax that must be seen to be believed.

Warrior hits theaters on September 9th. Judging from the poster they seem to be going for the female audience just a bit. I guess that’s a good way to get them to see this kind of movie.

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First we get the “official” word the the movie is indeed filming. And now, presented without comment, is this first picture of Tom Hardy as Bane from Christopher Nolan’s upcoming third Batman film The Dark Knight Rises. Okay, can’t help it, one comment. It looks pretty great.

Okay, two comments. Can’t wait for this movie. A year is too long.

What do you guys think?

Late yesterday Warner Bros decided to let everyone know “officially” what most of us knew already: The Dark Knight Rises has begun filming. Even though this isn’t really news, it still set off a flurry of discussion around The Flickcast offices about how we’re all really looking forward to this movie.

If you’re in the same boat as we are, this press release from the studio should at least, for a few moments, distract you a little until you again realize that even though the movie has started filming, we won’t actually see the finished product until July 20th, 2012.

Yes, that’s over a year away. Bummer.

Check out the full press release right here:

BURBANK, CA, May 19, 2011 – Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Legendary Pictures’ The Dark Knight Rises, the epic conclusion to filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy.

Leading an all-star international cast, Oscar® winner Christian Bale (The Fighter) again plays the dual role of Bruce Wayne/Batman.
The film also stars Anne Hathaway, as Selina Kyle; Tom Hardy, as Bane; Oscar® winner Marion Cotillard (La Vie en Rose), as Miranda Tate; and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake.

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Quite a big weekend for casting in the DC and Warner Bros. world, as it was recently announced that Josh Pence will be playing a young Ra’s Al Ghul in Chris Nolan’s upcoming Dark Knight Returns. However, that’s not the only caped crusader flick to get a villain.

THR is reporting that Boardwalk Empire and Revolutionary Road actor Michael Shannon will be taking on the role of the villain General Zod. Here’s what Snyder had to say about the decision.

“Zod is not only one of Superman’s most formidable enemies, but one of the most significant because he has insights into Superman that others don’t. Michael is a powerful actor who can project both the intelligence and the malice of the character, making him perfect for the role,”

Shannon compliments a pretty rounded out cast including Amy Adams, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, and The Tudors star Henry Cavill playing the titular role. It seems that the role of Superman/Clark Kent is the only role so far to be played by a British actor, which is normally the opposite plan of producer Christopher Nolan.

For those worried that Shannon may be too “mainstream” to play an evil, super powered general, this isn’t the actor’s first foray into the world of comics. Last year, he graced the screen as Doc Cross Williams in DC’s bastard stepchild of a comic adaptation, Jonah Hex.

Now that we have our baddie for the film, we just need some iconic supporting roles like Perry White and Jimmy Olsen filled in. But who will be chosen?

The Social Network was a wonderful film all around, but one of the truly amazing parts of the movie was the dual role played by Armie Hammer. Since Hammer is just one man, another actor had to play opposite him and that faceless hero was Josh Pence. Now, Pence is going to get a chance to stand out on his own because he’s just been cast as Young Ra’s Al Ghul in The Dark Knight Rises according to THR.

In the comics Ra’s Al Ghul is basically immortal, with access to Lazarus Pits around the world, so he always comes backs to torment the good detective. Batman Begins used the character well, but with the added realism Nolan brought to his Gotham, many people assumed we have seen the last of Ra’s in this series.

Lately rumors have been swirling that The Dark Knight Rises would deal with Ra’s daughter Talia (potentially played by Marion Cotillard) who is a long standing love interest of Batman. Casting a young version of Ra’s seems to add credence to this theory.

Based on the character’s history there is still hope that Liam Neeson can return, but this casting suggests that flashbacks are going to be used to flush out the relationship between Talia and her father. That is, of course, speculation. But one thing is certain, Nolan is throwing a lot into his highly anticipated Bat-climax.

The previous two Nolan Batman films have used the sprawling metropolis of Chicago to fill in for the fictional Gotham City. Chicago was a fine stand in and only required a few CGI touch up shots to sell it as another city.

Despite the success of filming in Chicago in the past, The Dark Knight Rises has been searching for a new stand in city for quite a while. Now, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the Steel City has now been chosen to represent Gotham.

“Pittsburgh is a beautiful city,”  [Nolan] said in a statement. “We have been able to find everything we were looking for here, and I am excited to spend the summer in Pittsburgh with our final installment of Batman.”

Now obviously this was done for financial and cinematic reasons, but I suspect something else might have played a part in choosing this new city. You see, the local NHL franchise is the Pittsburgh Penguins, so perhaps Nolan is secretly planning on using Mr. Cobblepot in the movie, and filming in Pittsburgh is a clever clue to us vigilante fan boys!

Yes, it just makes to much sense.

Or at least that is what I think I am supposed to say. You are required to put dumb and obviously false speculation at the end of every The Dark Knight Rises story, right?

We’ve heard names like Kevin Costner for Jonathan Kent and Viggo Mortensen for General Zod being thrown around for Zack Snyder’s upcoming reboot of the Superman franchise, but they are not for sure yet. However, we do officially have another name to add to the cast alongside Henry Cavill as the title character. That name? Diane Lane, who is now set to play Clark Kent’s mom, Martha Kent.

The news was broken by THR late yesterday.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures said late Wednesday that the actress is set as “the only mother Clark Kent has ever known.”

“This was a very important piece of casting for me because Martha Kent is the woman whose values helped shape the man we know as Superman,” Snyder said in a statement. “We are thrilled to have Diane in the role because she can convey the wisdom and the wonder of a woman whose son has powers beyond her imagination.”

Considering names like Phyllis Thaxter, K Callan, and Eva Marie Saint have played the character in the past, we’re expecting Snyder to take a drastic turn with Martha, as Lane is only 56. Lane is the second name to be cast in the film, after word came in earlier this year that The Tudors star Henry Cavill was to take the lead as the Man of Steel.

Snyder, who’s normally known for casting relative unknowns who pull off amazing performances, seems to be taking to the higher-profile names for this film. Could it be pressure from WB to compete with Nolan’s all-star supporting cast of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, and Gary Oldman for the Batman films?

We’re hoping to get some solid casting announcements in the coming weeks that will prove that theory.

Today, in what can be considered a pretty groundbreaking move, Warner Bros. Digital Distribution announced it is the first to launch “App Editions” of movies for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. Starting with the popular Christopher Nolan films Inception and The Dark Knight, the special edition movies and bonus content are now available for free in the U.S. app store in and more than 30 other countries.

According to the studios, these “App Editions” provide “a fully-loaded, connected viewing experience that gives consumers the first five minutes of a feature film and a portion of bonus content that can include games, trivia, soundtracks and soundboards. The entire feature film can be unlocked via an in-app purchase, which enables downloading and unlimited streaming, as well as access to the entire array of bonus content available within the App.”

With the apps arriving in the iTunes store today, this is something we’re going to have to check out for sure. On the surface it seems like a great way to expose these films to an even larger audience, especially where they may not have been available previously.

Still, for more mainstream audiences who’ve already seen and enjoyed these films, it will probably come down to what new and unique content these apps bring and what they will cost. For even more on these new apps, check out the full press release after the jump. We’ve also included some screens of these apps for you to check out as well. So, check ‘em out and let us know what you think.

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This week on The Flickcast brings more insight, innovation and innuendo from your favorite co-hosts. That’s right, Chris and Matt are back and discussing all sorts of new and returning topics. Yeah, we copied that into from last week, what of it?

Some of those topics include the recent Superman casting of Henry Cavill, Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, Call of Duty: Black Ops Map Packs, the new PSP 2, 3D movie madness, how English actors are taking over Hollywood and much more.

Chris and Matt also made new picks this week including Matt’s pick of the Mel Brooks classic Silent Movie and Chris’ pick of the John Woo action classic The Killer.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, at Facebook and MySpace or via email.

Nerds everywhere thought we could rest easy after years of contemplation and speculation as to who the next villain[s] would be in the Nolan’s third Batman film, and who they’d be played by.

Not long ago, we got word that Selena Kyle would be the film’s main villain, played by Anne Hathaway. Also joining the film would be Inception star Tom Hardy as the secondary villain Bane. Now the door of mystery has opened up once again as Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in talks to play yet another mysterious role in the film.

From Deadline.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in talks to reunite with his Inception director Christopher Nolan in The Dark Knight Rises for Warner Bros. I’m not sure what role he’ll play, but I’m told that he will be in the movie when Nolan starts production this spring.

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