“California Schemin‘” (stylized as “California $chemin'”) is a 2025 biographical musical film directed by James McAvoy in his directorial debut. The film stars Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross as the Scottish faux-American rap pairing Silibil N’ Brains, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, and is based on Bain’s 2010 memoir “California Schemin’: How Two Lads from Scotland Conned the Music Industry.” It tells the true story of the Dundee rap duo who, for three years, pretended to be American to be taken seriously by the record industry. The film premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival, where it received positive reviews for McAvoy’s direction and the performances. McAvoy was kind enough to spend some time talking with us about his work and experience making the film, which you can watch or listen to below. Please be sure to check out the film, which will open in theaters on October 9th from Magenta Light Studios. Thank you, and enjoy!
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