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California Schemin'

California Schemin' is a 2025 musical biographical film directed by James McAvoy in his directorial debut. The film stars Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross as 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.

Plot
The film tells the true story of Silibil N' Brains, a rap duo from Dundee who, for three years, pretended to be American in order to be taken seriously by the record industry and ended up touring with Eminem. ==Cast==
Cast
Samuel Bottomley as Billy "Silibil" BoydSéamus McLean Ross as Gavin "Brains" BainJames McAvoy as Anthony Reid • Lucy Halliday as Mary Boyd • Rebekah Murrell as Tessa • James Corden as a music executive • Jennifer Winn as Hayley ==Production==
Production
James McAvoy was reported to be directing a film about faux-Californian rap duo, Silibil N' Brains, otherwise known as Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd from Dundee in Scotland, in October 2023. The film is produced by Danny Page of Homefront Productions and Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures. It is based on Bain's 2010 memoir ''California Schemin': How Two Lads from Scotland Conned the Music Industry (which was later re-printed as Straight Outta Scotland'' It was funded by Screen Scotland. Principal photography began on 29 October 2024. Filming locations include Dundee and Glasgow. ==Release==
Release
Bankside Films handled international pre-sales on the film in September 2024; among the buyers was StudioCanal, which bought the film for the U.K. and Ireland. California Schemin premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2025. The film was screened at the 20th Rome Film Festival in October 2025. It also received a special screening at the Gasparilla International Film Festival on March 5, 2026, and was also screened at the Glasgow Film Festival on March 8, 2026. In the United Kingdom, it was released theatrically on 10 April 2026. In March 2026, Magenta Light Studios acquired the U.S. distribution rights. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on 2 October 2026. ==Reception==
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