California Schemin’: On the red carpet with James McAvoy, Samuel Bottomley, Séamus McLean Ross, Amber Anderson, Billy Boyd and Gavin Bain at the London premiere

James McAvoy is one of those actors we’ve seen deliver some truly phenomenal performances over the years – from that dewy-eyed turn in Atonement, through the raw, unhinged energy of Filth, to the blockbuster scale of X-Men and the dizzying range of Split. Now, he adds another string to his bow, stepping behind the camera for the first time with California Schemin’.

It also arrives at a moment where Scottish stories and voices seem to be having something of a resurgence. It’s been a long time since Trainspotting dominated the cultural conversation, but with projects like Joseph Gadd’s Half-Man and Brian Cox’s Glenrothan also emerging, there’s a sense that Scottish filmmaking is once again stepping into the spotlight – and California Schemin’ feels very much part of that wave.

If you’re not from Scotland, chances are you won’t already know this story – but if you are, you probably do. Based on the stranger-than-fiction tale of Dundee rappers who reinvented themselves as Californian artists to break into the music industry, this is far from a conventional music biopic. Instead, it’s bristling with energy, taking us back to the early 2000s – now, somewhat alarmingly, a period drama – where two young men are repeatedly knocked back because of where they’re from and how they sound.

Not ones to give up, they come up with an audacious, slightly bonkers plan: if the industry wants “authentic” American voices, then that’s exactly what they’ll deliver. What follows is a full-throttle, often hilarious ride as Gavin and Billy – aka Silibil N’ Brains – attempt to convince the world they’re from California.

But California Schemin’ is more than just a wild true story. For a millennial audience, it’s a nostalgic trip back to a pre-smartphone era of gigs, fashion and iconic venues, culminating in a standout Barrowlands sequence that genuinely feels like being at a live concert. Beneath the comedy, there’s also a pointed message – about class, identity and the prejudice that still exists around where people come from, and why stories like this deserve to be told.

At its heart are two standout performances from Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross, navigating layers of identity as they move between accents and personas, while Lucy Halliday brings depth and grounding as Mary – a female character who could easily have been sidelined, but instead becomes the emotional anchor of the story. The film also doesn’t shy away from darker territory, exploring the toll it all takes, particularly on Billy’s mental health.

Bold, funny and unexpectedly moving, California Schemin’ marks a confident and compelling directorial debut – and suggests McAvoy could be just as exciting behind the camera as he is in front of it.

On the red carpet, McAvoy spoke about his desire to platform working-class Scottish voices and why this was the right story for his directorial debut, reflecting on the extensive casting process and the challenge of pulling off the film’s ambitious performance sequences.

Samuel Bottomley echoed that sense of ambition, discussing the physical and emotional transformation required for the role – from mastering accents and performance to fully inhabiting a character so different from himself – and crediting McAvoy with drawing out a level of vulnerability he hadn’t previously reached on screen.

Séamus McLean Ross, meanwhile, spoke candidly about overcoming self-doubt during the process, revealing how McAvoy’s encouragement on set helped build his confidence, and reflecting on the film’s message about embracing identity and not being afraid to take risks.

Amber Anderson touched on the nostalgia of revisiting early-2000s Scotland, as well as the freedom McAvoy brought to the set as a director, creating space for improvisation and ensuring that even smaller roles – particularly the female characters – felt fully realised and three-dimensional.

Billy Boyd, whose real-life story inspired the movie, described the emotional experience of seeing it brought to life on screen, reflecting on just how much of the chaos and heart of that period had been captured, while also highlighting the feature’s continued relevance in championing working-class voices.

And Gavin Bain, who spent over a decade bringing the story to the screen, spoke about that long journey finally coming to fruition, praising the cast for capturing both the madness and emotional truth of his experience, and offering a more nuanced take on the central message – not just to “be yourself”, but to keep pushing forward until you figure out who that really is.

Sarah Bradbury

California Schemin’ is released nationwide on 10^th April 2026.

Watch the trailer for California Schemin’ here: