Back in July, we reported that Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) was lining up the 2011 Black List comedy Bad Words as his directorial debut.  We’re happy to say that the production has officially begun and the supporting cast has been significantly rounded out. In addition to Bateman in the lead, the indie comedy will feature Allison Janney (The Help), Kathryn Hahn (Our Idiot Brother), Ben Falcone (Bridesmaids), Philip Baker Hall (Argo), and Rohan Chandz (Jack and Jill).  Andrew Dodge’s comedic script centers on a high-school drop-out (Bateman) who uses a loophole to compete in an 8th grade spelling bee, enraging teachers and parents alike, but befriending an awkward young contestant along the way.  Hit the jump for much more on Bad Words.

Jason Bateman (Arrested Development) is in negotiations to direct the indie picture Bad Words for Darko Entertainment.  The spelling bee comedy, from a  script by Andrew Dodge (Tyro), made the 2011 Black List.  Bateman would not only direct, but star in the picture as well.  Bad Words centers on a bitter thirty-something man who uses a technicality in the rules to enter a national spelling competition for children.  The picture follows the relationships he forms with a female reporter and a young Indian contestant, who he shows lighter side of life.  Sources at Variety place Bateman in the director’s chair for the first time for a feature film.  He previously directed episodes of television shows Arrested Development and Family Matters. Bateman can next be seen in new episodes of Arrested Development and is currently filming with Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon for the comedy Identity Thief.

Each year, Hollywood releases “The Black List.” The list is a compilation of the “best” unproduced scripts making the rounds of Hollywood, as voted on by hundreds of film executives. Past scripts that have made their way to the list include Diablo Cody’s Juno and Aaron Sorkin‘s The Social Network. This year, topping the list is Graham Moore’s script for the Alan Turing biopic The Imitation Game. Turning was a mathematician and codebreaker during World War II who was criminally prosecuted for his homosexuality, after which he elected chemical castration over prison, and eventually ended his own life.

The Imitation Game has been in the works for a while, and last we heard Warner Bros. was keen on getting Harry Potter director David Yates to take the helm. Leonardo DiCaprio is also said to have taken a liking to the role of Turing. Also appearing on the list is Matt Damon’s planned directorial debut Father Daughter Time and Chewie, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of Star Wars from the perspective of Peter Mayhew. Hit the jump to peruse the entire list, which includes two Pinocchio projects, a movie about catching a screening of Jurassic Park, and zombies!