StudioCanal has released a new trailer for ‘California Schemin’, the electrifying directorial debut from James McAvoy. Inspired by an improbably true story that feels stranger than fiction and twice as bold, the film charts the chaotic rise of two aspiring Scottish MCs who gamble everything on a dream stitched together with beats, bravado, and a carefully constructed lie.
The story follows Gavin (Séamus McLean Ross) and Billy (Samuel Bottomley), lifelong friends determined to land a record deal at any cost. Their plan is as outrageous as it is daring: reinvent themselves as Californian hip hop artists and ride the illusion all the way to fame. As the spotlight grows hotter and the deception deepens, the pair discover that success built on fiction comes with a dangerous emotional price, threatening both their future and their friendship.
Ross, known for ‘Outlander: Blood of My Blood’ and Rebus, stars alongside Bottomley of ‘How to Have Sex’ and ‘Anemone’. The cast also features Lucy Halliday (Blue Jean, The Testaments) and Rebekah Murrell (Pirates, One Day), with McAvoy appearing on screen in addition to steering the film from behind the camera.
McAvoy and the ensemble will return to Scotland for the UK premiere of ‘California Schemin’ at the Glasgow Film Festival on Sunday, 8 March. Following its festival debut, the film arrives in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 10 April 2026.
Also in trailers – ‘Scarpetta’ trailer reveals Nicole Kidman in forensic crime thriller
