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An Outlander star appears utterly transformed in the trailer for their forthcoming film California Schemin’ as audiences receive their initial glimpse before its theatrical debut, reports the Daily Record.
Séamus McLean Ross, recognised for portraying Colum MacKenzie in the Starz prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood, exchanges Highland garb and political scheming for beanies and baggy jeans in this latest production.
California Schemin’ recounts the bizarre but true tale of Scottish hip-hop pair Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, known as Silibil N’ Brains, who masqueraded as Americans to secure a recording contract. The film follows their triumph in deceiving music industry executives whilst chasing stardom. McLean Ross portrays rapper Bain, whilst Samuel Bottomley assumes the role of Boyd. The cast also features The Testaments’ Lucy Halliday, Rebekah Murrell, and James Corden.
This production represents Hollywood heavyweight James McAvoy’s first venture behind the camera, following the Glasgow-native’s appearances in numerous blockbusters including Marvel’s X-Men series, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and Atonement. McAvoy also appears on screen in California Schemin’.
The preview establishes the 2003 setting as the duo fabricate their origins, claiming to hail from sunny LA instead of Scotland, with McAvoy declaring: “The next Snoop Dogg, the next Wu-Tang Clan, the next Eminem.”
The footage then reveals a character expressing incredulity at their ruse, particularly given their dubious American pronunciation. In the preview, Bain informs Boyd that they must “commit” to adopting American personas and “no more Scottish” if they wish to be taken seriously and achieve stardom.
As the duo develops their performance, they soon find themselves entertaining audiences who adore their music, yet as the trailer reaches its climax, the deception becomes overwhelming and they begin to fall apart.
California Schemin’ draws from Bain’s 2010 autobiography of the same title, which was subsequently reissued as Straight Outta Scotland. The memoir later inspired Jeanie Finlay’s 2013 BBC documentary The Great Hip Hop Hoax, which also featured at the Edinburgh International Film Festival.
Several readers shared their thoughts about the book on Amazon, with one reviewer commenting: “Nothing better than a true story that is so unbelievable but true. I enjoyed every minute of reading this and as thee title says I look forward to see what James mcavoy does with it on his director debut [sic].”
Another reader expressed: “I loved this book. It is excellent. It is an account of an amazing feat of skill and courage. I couldn’t believe how idiotic those record company executives were to dismiss Gavin Bains and Billy Boyd because of their Scottish accents. I was furious on behalf of them. How dare a bunch of squares decide what will be listened to by the rest of us.”
One thrilled reader gave a five-star review, exclaiming: “Oh my gosh! Absolutely brilliant,” while another top-rated critique urged others to read the book, stating: “Watched the documentary, now read the book! Amazing story, amazing music what else do you need to know? !”.
The film adaptation, ‘California Schemin”, is set to hit UK and Irish cinemas next year, with fans eagerly awaiting its release. Speaking about the project, director McAvoy told The Hollywood Reporter: “I was in a lucky position where I got offered stuff to do. Didn’t want to do much of the stuff that got sent my way. This is the very first thing that I get sent that I thought, ‘Wow, I could do the kind of things that I want to do for my first film’.”
He added: “I wanted it to be about Scottish people. I wanted it to be about people. who come from lower-income backgrounds with limited or near horizons. And I wanted to entertain and have fun while doing it, and have the weight of what the real boys’ story gives us as well, which is as much as it’s a really fun adventure and it’s really funny, they both paid a kind of pretty high price.”
California Schemin’ will be released in UK and Irish cinemas on April 10, 2026
Outlander season 8 will air on Starz and MGM+ via Prime Video on March 6, 2026
