Bankside Films have shared a first look still from James McAvoy’s hotly anticipated directorial debut California Schemin’. Currently in post-production, the film was picked up by Studiocanal for release in UK & Ireland. Bankside Films are handling international sales, while UTA Independent Film Group is repping North America, and will be showing a promo at the forthcoming EFM.
California Schemin’ is directed by BAFTA Award Winner and Golden Globe Nominee James McAvoy, who will also take a supporting role, alongside Screen Daily Rising Star Scotland 2024 & Guildhall graduate Séamus McLean Ross, currently shooting Starz / Sony drama Outlander: Blood of My Blood, who will play the role of Gavin Bain and BAFTA Award and BIFA Award nominee Samuel Bottomley (How To Have Sex, Sundown) who will play the role of Billy Boyd.
Aardwolf (Airlines) and Magic Film (CIS) have recently picked up the film, in addition to the previously announced pre-sales are: Estonian Theatrical Distribution (Baltics), Beta (Bulgaria), HBO (Eastern Europe), MCF (Former Yugoslavia), Cinetel (Hungary), Front Row (Middle East), NOS Lusomundo (Portugal) and Green Light (Ukraine).
Archie Thomson (Deep State 2, Under The Banner of Heaven) & Glasgow born Elaine Gracie (Romantic Getaway) adapted the screenplay, and Kahleen Crawford serves as casting director.
California Schemin’ is produced by Danny Page of Homefront Productions and Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures, alongside Paul Aniello of Tartan Bridge 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 film production.
Executive Producers include Natalie Perrotta and Jim Steele for Patriot Pictures, Naysun Alae-Carew, Nic Crum, Lauren Lamarr for Blazing Griffin; Steven Little and Kieran Hannigan for Screen Scotland; Stephen Kelliher and Yana Georgieva are Executive Producers for Bankside Films.
Co-Producers are Barry Hutchison and Fiona Hutchison for Zertex Media, and Isabelle Georgeaux for Pont Neuf Productions.
California Schemin’ is based on Gavin Bain’s autobiography of the same name, which was later re-printed as Straight Outta Scotland. The story was later adapted into 2013 SXSW documentary The Great Hip Hop Hoax.
In the late 90’s, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd had their musical ambitions consistently ridiculed for having the ‘wrong’ accents, so they went for broke and reinvented themselves as Californian rappers. ‘California Schemin’ shows how the duo re-recorded their own tracks with fake accents and turned up in London claiming to be an established duo on the California scene as well as childhood friends with Eminem. They quickly bagged themselves a record deal, a hefty sum in advances, and an appearance on MTV…until it all came crashing down.
James McAvoy is represented by UTA, United Agents, The Lede Company and Sloane Offer. Séamus McLean Ross is represented by Clarence Conway / Independent Talent. Samuel Bottomley is represented by Ellie Martin-Sperry / 42mp. Archie Thomson is represented by Nick Fenwick / Curtis Brown. Elaine Gracie is represented by Abby Singer / Casarotto Ramsay & Associates.
Michael Mendelsohn and Patriot Pictures are represented by UTA, Ryan Webb of Greenberg Glusker, and Anne Jordan, ESQ.
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Image credits: Still courtesy of Bankside Films