EXCLUSIVE: James McAvoy‘s feature directorial debut California Schemin‘, in which he also stars, will arrive in theaters October 2 in New York City and Los Angeles before expanding October 9 through Bob Yari’s Magenta Light Studios.
Set in the late 1990s, the pic based on Gavin Bain’s autobiography of the same name (later reissued as Straight Outta Scotland) follows Bain and Billy Boyd, aspiring musicians whose ambitions were dismissed because of their Scottish accents. Frustrated but determined, they reinvent themselves as California rappers — rerecording their tracks with American accents and arriving in London with a fabricated backstory that included ties to Eminem.
Their gamble pays off: a record deal, sizable advances, and even an appearance on MTV. But as their profile rises, so do the risks, and the illusion proves increasingly difficult to maintain.
Séamus McLean Ross (Outlander: Blood of My Blood), Samuel Bottomley (How to Have Sex) and Lucy Halliday (The Testaments) also star in the pic, adapted by Archie Thomson and Elaine Grace.
California Schemin’, world premiered last fall at the Toronto Film Festival and was released in the UK and Ireland on April 10.
Bain’s autobiography was also previously adapted into the 2013 SXSW documentary The Great Hip Hop Hoax.
California Schemin’ is produced by Danny Page of Homefront Productions and Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures, alongside Paul Aniello and Simon Kay. The film is produced with funding from the National Lottery through Screen Scotland, and Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital affiliate is financing the production. It is presented in association with Zertex Media and Pont Neuf Productions and produced in association with Blazing Griffin and Tartan Bridge Films.
“There’s something brilliantly fitting about bringing this true story to America, considering that’s where the boys claimed to be from all along. At its heart, it’s a story about reinvention, ambition and identity, inspired by a love of American music and culture. We’re thrilled American audiences will be getting the chance to see it on the big screen.” said McAvoy.
Added Magenta Light CEO Yari: “We are thrilled to bring James McAvoy’s feature directorial debut to the big screen with California Schemin’. Not only is this film wildly entertaining, but James brings a clear, confident vision behind the camera that audiences across the country will connect with. We’re excited for moviegoers to experience it in theaters nationwide on October 2.