California Schemin'
California Schemin' is a 2025 biographical musical 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 autobiography Straight Outta Scotland.
California Schemin premiered at the 2025 [Toronto International Film Festival|Toronto International Film Festival] on September 6, 2025, and is scheduled to be released in the United Kingdom by StudioCanal on April 10, 2026.
Premise
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
- Samuel Bottomley as Billy Boyd
- Séamus McLean Ross as Gavin Bain
- James McAvoy as Anthony Reid
- James Corden as Music Executive
Production
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 autobiography Straight Outta Scotland and adapted by Archie Thomson. Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross were cast to play Boyd and Bain. McAvoy also has a small role in the film. 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.
Principal photography began on 29 October 2024. Filming locations include Dundee and Glasgow.
Release
California Schemin premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 6 September 2025.The film was screened in non-competitive section 'Freestyle' of the 20th Rome Film Festival in October 2025.