Jason Bateman may not be at the top of the a-list, but he’s got a great reputation in the comedy field. Now he’s hoping to stretch his wings by turning director. Variety reports that he’s set to make his directorial debut with an indie comedy called Bad Words. He may star as well, although this hasn’t been confirmed.

The film is about a bitter thirtysomething who discovers a loophole in a national spelling bee’s rulebook. Although the bee is normally only open to kids, the grown man finds a way to enter himself.

Bateman’s company, DumbDumb (which he owns with Arrested Development co-star Will Arnett), will produce the movie and Darko Entertainment will finance the project. The script was written by newcomer Andrew Dodge, but it’s a hot property as it was featured on the 2011 Black List (an annual list of the most popular unproduced screenplays in Hollywood). It’s not quite Bateman’s first trip behind the camera, as he’s directed episodes of TV shows such as Valerie’s Family and Arrested Development, but this will be his first movie.