(Cover) - EN Movies - Brandon Routh will star in the sports film Crooked Arrows.

The 31-year-old actor, who is famed for playing the titular hero in 2006 movie Superman Returns, has signed on to star in the Steve Rash-directed film which is set in the world of lacrosse.

The story centres on a Native American high school lacrosse team that is forced to join a better league, according to Variety. Brandon will play the part-Native American son of the tribe's leader, who is forced to coach the team.

Brandon, whose ancestors hail from the Kickapoo tribe, says the film appealed to him on a "deeper" level. The American star likes the idea of a classic sports movie mixed with an underlying message.

"I was moved by the script. While it has all the ingredients of a classic underdog sports movie, it actually appealed to be on a deeper level. I think the father-son and brother-sister dynamics of the story are compelling as is [the] more spiritual Native American aspect," he said.

Todd Baird is writing the screenplay and J. Todd Harris and Mitchell Peck are producing.

Filming is set to begin in Boston this July. (C) Cover Media