James McAvoy makes directorial debut with film California Schemin

Scottish actor James McAvoy is making his directorial debut with the film California Schemin, which arrives in theaters on Friday, according to UPI. The movie tells the true story of two Scottish rappers who posed as Americans in order to succeed in the music industry, UPI and The New York Times report. [1][2]

The 47-year-old actor stated in a Zoom interview with UPI that he regrets delaying his shift behind the camera, having wanted to direct since he first began acting as a teenager. McAvoy recalled thinking about shot placement while sitting on the set of his very first movie, UPI reports. [1]

The film stars Samuel Bottomley and Séamus McLean Ross as the Scottish rap duo Silibil N Brains, composed of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd. The script relies on the 2010 memoir California Schemin: How Two Lads from Scotland Conned the Music Industry, which was written by Bain. [8]

McAvoy made his acting debut as a teenager in the 1995 film The Near Room before starring in television productions such as State of Play and Shameless. He later gained international prominence for his roles in feature films including The Last King of Scotland, Atonement, and the X-Men franchise. [7][9]