Kate Bosworth, who starred in the Hawai'i-filmed surfing adventure, "Blue Crush," is being wooed to portray Lois Lane; Hollywood trade publications will mention the negotiations today, along with Kevin Spacey's role as Lex Luthor.

ACM students in Hawai'i are likely to be hired in a first-of-a-kind internship, where they will "live and study abroad, working on the movie, gaining on-the-job training," said Lee. Details are being finalized by Tom Brislin, who will serve as acting chairman of the film school, which begins its new semester next Monday.

" 'Superman' is a big-budget Warner Bros. movie," said Lee, who declined to reveal a budget figure. He was in Los Angeles, prepping for a Sydney departure tomorrow. The film is his first since 2003's "S.W.A.T.," which starred Colin Farrell.

Lee said "Superman," which made the late Christopher Reeve an international star, has been on the Warner Bros. radar for a decade. "They asked me to come aboard and I'm honored," he said. "Especially since Bryan Singer is directing."

Singer, director of "X-Men" and "X-2: X-Men United," has longstanding ties with Lee, the former president of production for Columbia/Tri-Star Pictures. Lee brought Singer to the film academy in 2003 for a session on the Manoa campus. Singer has been serving in an advisory board capacity for the school.

Brandon Routh, a relatively unknown actor, will play the caped crusader, who works as mild-mannered reporter Clark Kent. The script is by "X-Men" collaborators Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris.