A couple of months ago it was revealed that Jason Bateman is planning to make his directorial debut with the film Bad Words. Now The Wrap reports he’s begun filling out the cast, signing up Allison Janney, Philip Baker Hall, Kathryn Hahn, Ben Falcone, and Rohan Chandz.
The movie follows a 41-year-old high school drop out (Bateman), who enters the National Quill Spelling Bee. Allison Janney will play Dr. Bernice Deagan, the director of the spelling bee group, while Philip Baker Hall will be the head of the organization. Rohan Chandz plays a fellow contestant who becomes friends with Jason Bateman’s character.
Andrew Dodge wrote the screenplay, which ended up on the Black List of the best unproduced screenplay in 2011. The movie will start shooting in Los Angeles this week.