If only for his own sake, Randall Wallace will forever be known as the writer of Braveheart; varying degrees of work on Secretariat, We Were Soldiers, and Pearl Harbor don’t crop up alongside his own name too often. But, along with the announcement that he would get back to work with Gibson — if the actor’s crazy antics haven’t shut down some Viking adventures in the months since — this following news is another (potentially) good sign for the writer-director.

According to TheWrap, Walden Media have hired Wallace to direct The Conscientious Objector, a real-life drama about World War II hero Desmond Doss, best known as the first-ever conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor; Pulitzer Prize winner Robert Schenkkan (The Pacific) is behind the screenplay. (A conscientious objector is someone who, for personal reasons, claims they have no requirement to provide military service. Being a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Doss refused to so much as hold a gun, thus leading to his position as a medic.)

It sounds much more in line with the work done on Secretariat — an inspiring historical film about the power of personal strength and conviction, etc. — but I hope, if only out of respect for Doss, that this story can be told both accurately and, more importantly, well. So, sure: Wallace‘s recent work might serve as a few red flags, but the engrossing subject at hand might make a big difference. It’s more interesting than a super horse, at least.

Is there a good film to be found in the story of Conscientious Objector?