In coming off his well-received feature debut, Ceremony, it’s been reported that Max Winkler will team with his old (new, technically) producer, Matt Spicer, and get down to scribing The Coward, a recently-staged production that featured Jeremy Strong (Lincoln) and Kristen Schaal. Winkler will, in addition to co-writing, direct, while Spicer is on executive producing duties; credits-wise, there isn’t a whole word of change between their first and second collaborations. [Deadline]

Here’s how Lincoln Center summarizes the play:

“THE COWARD is a new comedy set in 18th century England. A cowardly young gentleman named Lucidus (Jeremy Strong) initiates a pistol duel then finds he can’t go through with it. So he hires a common criminal (Christopher Evan Welch) to fight in his place, only to have the scoundrel make a bloody mess of things. As duel follows duel with many shots fired, this coward finds his reputation growing beyond his wildest expectations.”

(I can’t help but think of that hilarious scene in Barry Lyndon where the titular character duels with his spoiled stepson. Please excuse this mild digression.)

It hasn’t been said if this will, in fact, be Winkler‘s next film; his schedule currently includes a mob comedy with Steve Carell and Jake Johnson, in addition to a possible “love letter to the ‘70s rogue movies.” (There is, to The Coward‘s advantage, a lot happening at this moment, with Big Beach Films and American Work already on board to produce.) But I’m sure they’re willing to wait for a bit — though promising, something tells me the movie won’t be a box office smash — and, if anything, a successful studio piece with some bankable names could get The Coward to some higher place. Right now, the specifics of this theoretical place remain undisclosed.

Are you happy to see Winkler grab another project? Did you enjoy Ceremony?