California Schemin’: James McAvoy's directorial debut about the underdog rap duo Silibil N' Brains now has a trailer

James McAvoy, after giving some outstanding performances as an actor throughout the years, has tried his hand at film direction. His directorial debut, California Schemin’, recently got a trailer on YouTube. StudioCanal dropped it and boasts over 73k views, which keeps growing as we speak.

The news about the actor's directorial debut came out last year in May, when he told Deadline that,

"I’m proud to announce that for my directorial debut I will be telling the true Scottish story of Silibil ‘n’ Brains. California Schemin’ is as rooted in the California rap scene of the early 2000’s as it is in the working-class Scottish setting where our story begins. With California Schemin’ I’ll be telling a story about friendship, rap and glorious failure that has the potential to move, shock and entertain."

Silibil ‘n’ Brains is a rapper duo from Scotland consisting of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, two Scottish lads who disguised themselves as individuals from California so that people in the music industry would take them seriously.

A documentary has also been made on their story, dubbed The Great Hip Hop Hoax, directed by Jeanie Finlay, and garnered positive reviews from critics.

Who are playing Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd in California Schemin’

Séamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley are playing Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd in the James McAvoy film.

Ross is an actor who has appeared in a few television series before. He was first seen alongside Peter Mullan in the British television series Payback, a story about a woman who finds out some shocking truths about her husband after his death.

The actor also played a major role in the rom-com TV series Outlander: Blood of My Blood, a prequel to the historical fantasy show Outlander. Other than that, he also appeared in three episodes of a Scottish crime drama series called Rebus.

Samuel Bottomley, who is playing Billy Boyd in the movie, has a significantly longer career than his co-star, beginning in 2011 with the British drama film Tyrannosaur by Paddy Considine.

Later on, he went on to star in movies like The Last Right (2019), Everybody's Talking About Jamie (2021), How to Have Sex (2023), and more. On top of that, he had appeared in major roles in TV shows like Jericho (2016), Kiss Me First (2018), Somewhere Boy (2022), and more.

Who else is in California Schemin’?

Other than Séamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley, director James McAvoy and James Corden will also appear in supporting roles as Anthony Reid and a music executive, respectively.

McAvoy has notably appeared in the X-Men film series as the younger version of Professor X and in main roles in movies like Wanted (2008), Split (2016), Speak No Evil (2024), and more.

Corden is best known for the acclaimed BBC sitcom called Gavin & Stacey (2007-2024). But he has also appeared in several films like Gulliver's Travels (2010), The Three Musketeers (2011), Ocean's 8 (2018), and more.

Other actors who will appear in the film include Jennifer Winn, Lucy Halliday, Sonny Poon Tip, and more.