Submitted by: kirkland on Friday October 22nd, 2004 at 08:27 PM EST

Landing one of the hottest roles in Hollywood, little-known television actor Brandon Routh has been cast as the Man of Steel in an upcoming "Superman" movie from Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio said on Friday.

Routh, 25, whose credits include the ABC soap opera "One Life to Live" and prime-time WB drama "Gilmore Girls," is the only casting choice announced for the film, which has been in development at Warner in one form or another since 1998.

Now under the direction of Bryan Singer, the filmmaker behind the "X-Men" movies for 20th Century Fox, the "Superman" film is expected to begin principal photography in Australia early next year for a summer 2006 release, the Time Warner Inc.-owned studio said.

In a statement issued by the studio, Singer said he always had intended to hire an unknown to play the comic book hero in the upcoming film.

» Read full story @ Reuters