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“It was pretty surreal”: the 2013 movie Jason Bateman called a “dream come true”
Jason Bateman said directing the 2013 comedy *Bad Words* fulfilled a long-held ambition. He had spent decades acting, but wanted to move behind the camera and eventually stop performing; when two actors dropped out, he also took a role in the film.
Bateman directed the film with a reported $10 million budget, alongside Kathryn Hahn, in a story about a man who enters a children’s spelling contest through a loophole. Its box-office takings did not quite cover its costs, though critics praised Bateman’s performance and directing. Since then he has directed *The Family Fang* and television episodes, including *Ozark*, and is attached to several upcoming film projects.
In short
- Directing *Bad Words* fulfilled Bateman’s long-standing ambition.
- He acted in it after two cast members dropped out.
- He has since directed films and acclaimed television.
Explained simply
Jason Bateman is best known as an actor with a career spanning several decades in television and film. However, he had long harboured an ambition to direct rather than perform, and in 2013 he directed Bad Words—a film he has described as a dream come true.
Bad Words tells the story of an adult man who exploits a loophole to enter a children's spelling contest. The film was made with a budget of $10 million and also starred Kathryn Hahn alongside Bateman, who took on the acting role after two other actors dropped out of the project.
Although the film's box-office takings did not quite cover its production costs, critics praised both Bateman's performance and his directorial work. Since then, he has continued to direct, including the film The Family Fang and television episodes such as those for Ozark, with several more film projects in development.