Don’t miss the trailer for James McAvoy’s near-perfect drama based on “outrageous” true story

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The first trailer is out for California Schemin’, the directorial debut of James McAvoy. The film tells the fascinating true story behind one of the music industry’s most memorable pranks.

Known for roles in X-Men and Atonement, the actor directs Straight Outta Scotland, a movie based on the true story of Scottish rap duo Silibil N’ Brains and their unconventional journey to success.

In 2003, Gavin Bain, the author of the book, and Billy Boyd created American personas to gain credibility with record labels, and their project quickly gained momentum.

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The film debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year and will be released on April 10th next year.

The film, perfectly summarized by the tagline “Get rich… or try lying,” follows the fortunes and misfortunes of Bain and Boyd, portrayed by Séamus McLean Ross and Samuel Bottomley.

I remember back in 2003, these two guys from Dundee started pretending they were American – totally making up a story about where they were from! It was a bit of a shock to find out it wasn’t true.

Hoping to quickly gain recognition, they pretended to be from Los Angeles, a strategy that ultimately led to a record deal and the chance to tour with Eminem.

In the trailer, another character expresses shock when Billy reveals everyone believes they’re American, exclaiming, “How? Your accents are terrible!”

James McAvoy takes the lead in this film, playing the character Anthony Reid. James Corden also appears in a supporting role, alongside Lucy Halliday (known from Blue Jean) and Rebekah Murrell (One Day).

The film was well-received after its first showing in Toronto, achieving a 95% approval rating based on 22 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie has been widely praised as confident, entertaining, and deeply personal, successfully capturing the resilient spirit of Scotland (according to Collider). The Hollywood Reporter also highlighted James McAvoy’s skillful direction of this inspiring underdog story, calling it hard to resist.

California Schemin’ is released in cinemas on 10 April 2026.

I’m so excited – the latest issue of Living Legends is out! You can grab Ariana & Witches at all good newsagents or order it online for only £8.99. I can’t wait to read it!

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2025-12-02 18:19