California Schemin'(2026)

Name: California Schemin'
Director: James McAvoy
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Music
Released: Oct 9, 2026
Cast: James McAvoy, Samuel Bottomley, James Harkness, James Corden

Magenta Light Studios

R
Rated R for language, some drug use and sexual references.
1h 47m

Release Date: Oct 9, 2026

Two Scottish lads from Dundee conned the music industry by pretending to be an established Californian rap duo, bagging a record deal and appearing on MTV until their scam unraveled.

Release Details

Original Release | Oct 9, 2026 | Limited

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Director & Top Cast

James McAvoy
Director

James McAvoy
Anthony

Samuel Bottomley
Billy Boyd

James Harkness
Graham

James Corden
Music Executive

Other Details

Country of Origin: United Kingdom, United States

Language: English

Summaries

Storyline

Truth is stranger than fiction in actor James McAvoy's directorial debut. Inspired by the real-life saga of Scottish rap duo Silibil N' Brains, a.k.a. Gavin Bain (Séamus McLean Ross) and Billy Boyd (Samuel Bottomley), the film follows the unexpected journey of two lifelong friends from Dundee who dream of hip-hop super-stardom. There's just one problem: nobody takes two white guys with thick regional accents seriously in the UK's early 2000s rap scene, especially not the London gatekeepers who laugh them out of an audition. Back home and humiliated, the pair hatch a plan so absurd it just might work: they'll reinvent themselves as hard-partying MCs from Southern California complete with fake backstories and convincing-enough American accents. Against all odds - and with sharp commentary on image, identity, and the music industry's obsession with authenticity - they take off, conning even one of the industry's top producers (McAvoy). But keeping up the lie without losing sight of what's real becomes harder as the stakes rise, and as cracks beneath the bravado and between friends begin to widen. — Jason Ryle