For a while it seemed like Kevin Spacey could do no wrong. Then the actor did his Bobby Darin impression for Beyond the Sea, which was panned, and then a disappearing act in favor of the world of theater. Sure, he’s had the occasional appearance doing movies like 21 and Superman Returns, but it feels like Spacey has practically fallen off the Hollywood map.

That’s why I’m glad to see Variety report that Spacey is still active in Hollywood. The actor will be appearing in an independent comedy called Father of Invention, which he will also produce.

The movie will star Spacey as an inventor who find success and transforms into an egotistical billionaire before his invention winds up going bad, resulting in the inventor being sent to prison for eight years. When he returns on the other side of his sentence, he’s penniless and determined to rebuild his reputation.

If you look at Spacey’s recent work, this certainly fits in thematically with both 21 and Superman Returns. Is the actor trying to tell us something? Has the real Kevin Spacey come forward, or is this just a character type he’s interested in playing lately?