TORONTO — Actors making their first stab at directing are mainstays at festivals, often never heard from again. That is not the case for Jason Bateman.


Over the weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival, Bateman premiered his spelling bee comedy "Bad Words," a foul-mouthed R-rated riot. Just hours after it had festivalgoers roaring with laughter, it was picked up for distribution by Focus Features, with Universal Pictures distributing internationally.


"It was exactly what I would have scripted," says Bateman. "It was pretty surreal to see such a long dream come true."


Bateman's career has already undergone several evolutions, from child star to an "Arrested Development"-powered comeback. His next chapter, he hopes, will be as a director.


"I want to be able not to act," Bateman said in an interview. "My ambition is true."


The film, from a script by first-time screenwriter Andrew Dodge, is about a 40-year-old man (Bateman) who enters a national spelling bee with uncertain motives for sabotaging the children's contest. For Bateman, so often the mild-mannered straight man in the middle of chaotic stories, it's a cathartic shift into a darker comic personality.


He plays a man on a questionable and mysterious mission, with no patience to explain himself or coddle his younger competitors. He calls one 10-year-old Indian boy (Rohan Chand) "Shawarma" and "Slumdog." And that's just what's printable. In the quaint spelling bee environs, Bateman is a cruel but hilarious villain.


"Its humor is similar to mine, I somewhat cautiously reveal to you," says Bateman. "We've all got different parts, and I'm fortunate that I'm friends with a lot of the different parts in me. I know each of those parts really well and I can ask them to come to the party whenever I want."


But the part of the 44-year-old "Identity Thief" actor that most comes across is the seriousness of his directing plans. His models, he says, are filmmakers that mix drama and comedy with an edge, like David O. Russell, Spike Jonze and Paul Thomas Anderson. Of becoming an actor-director, he speaks with careerist clarity of taking "a Ben Stiller route or a Clooney route or an Affleck route." It's a goal he's harbored since he first was exposed to Hollywood by his directing and producing father, Kent Bateman.


"I never wanted to be obnoxious about jamming myself into the director chair any more than the community would truly embrace me," says Bateman.


He and his team, he says, are "reading furiously," pursuing his next script. He hopes to be in pre-production by February on his next directing effort.


His aim is certain: "I want to do this a lot more."


___


Follow AP Entertainment Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle




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  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Jean-Marc Vallée, Jared Leto


    Actress Jennifer Garner, left, actor Matthew McConaughey, director Jean-Marc Vallee and actor Jared Leto at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey


    Actors Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey arrive at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey


    Actors Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey arrive at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey


    Actors Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey arrive at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jennifer Garner


    Actress Jennifer Garner arrives at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jean-Marc Vallée, Jared Leto


    Director Jean-Marc Vallee, left, and Jared Leto arrive at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Jean-Marc Vallée, Jared Leto


    Actress Jennifer Garner, left, actor Matthew McConaughey, director Jean-Marc Vallee and actor Jared Leto at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto


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  • Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Jean-Marc Vallée, Jared Leto


    Actress Jennifer Garner, left, actor Matthew McConaughey, director Jean-Marc Vallee and actor Jared Leto at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Matthew McConaughey


    Actor Matthew McConaughey arrives at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Robbie Brenner, Jean-Marc Vallée, Rachel Winter


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  • Jennifer Garner


    Actress Jennifer Garner arrives at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jared Leto


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  • Jared Leto


    Jared Leto arrives at the premiere of "Dallas Buyers Club" on day 3 of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013 in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Jared Leto


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    Actress Juliette Binoche arrives for the screening of the movie "Words and Pictures" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)




  • Juliette Binoche


    Actress Juliette Binoche arrives for the screening of the movie "Words and Pictures" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)




  • Juliette Binoche


    Actress Juliette Binoche arrives for the screening of the movie "Words and Pictures" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)




  • Juliette Binoche


    Actress Juliette Binoche arrives for the screening of the movie "Words and Pictures" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)




  • Juliette Binoche


    Actress Juliette Binoche arrives for the screening of the movie "Words and Pictures" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)




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    Actor Clive Owen arrives for the screening of the movie "Words and Pictures" during the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival in Toronto on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Nathan Denette)




  • Clive Owen


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  • Adam Driver


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  • Zoe Kazan


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  • Paul Dano


    Paul Dano arrives at the premiere of "The F Word" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Ryerson Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)




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    Daniel Radcliffe signs autographs as he arrives at the premiere of "The F Word" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Ryerson Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)




  • Daniel Radcliffe


    Daniel Radcliffe arrives at the premiere of "The F Word" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Ryerson Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)




  • Daniel Radcliffe


    Daniel Radcliffe arrives at the premiere of "The F Word" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at the Ryerson Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)




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    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your Life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your Life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your Life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Adam Levine


    Adam Levine arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Adam Levine


    Adam Levine arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightley arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Adam Levine


    Adam Levine arrives at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley


    Keira Knightleyappears on stage to introduce the film at the premiere of "Can A Song Save Your life" on day 3 of the Toronto International Film Festival at The Princess of Wales Theatre on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2013, in Toronto. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)




  • Keira Knightley, Adam Levine


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