Photos: CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' Opens in U.S. Theaters

CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN', the directorial debut of James McAvoy, opened in U.S. theaters today, October 9, 2026, with theatrical expansions set for October 16 & 23, 2026. Showtimes are available at showtimes.californiascheminmovie.com.

The film is directed by McAvoy and stars McAvoy alongside Seamus McLean Ross, Samuel Bottomley, Lucy Halliday, and Rebekah Murrell. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival to strong reviews and holds a Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

McAvoy issued the following statement about the project:

'I've wanted to direct since I was 16. After 30 years of working with and learning from some of the best in the business, that desire has only grown.

All this gave me the opportunity to do two things I cared about as a first-time director.

1. Tell a story about people from a background like mine: lower-income, council estate kids, with talent, hopes, dreams - and a desire to transcend their limited horizons.

2. Entertain.

CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' is about two people who don't just break through a glass ceiling, they completely ignore it and find a way around. That might sound like a straightforward success story, but if it were, I wouldn't be telling it.

We celebrate those who dare to dream in the face of failure, who kick down closed doors with unapologetic, gallus self-belief.

For me, the heart of the story is if their friendship and sanity could survive the journey: could they stay healthy and true to themselves while adopting personas the industry deemed acceptable, and forsaking the Scottish culture that made them?'

Logline: Based on the improbably true story, CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN' follows two aspiring Scottish MCs who devise an audacious scheme to achieve their dream of a record deal by posing as Californian hip-hop artists. As fame beckons and the lies pile up, their friendship is put to the test.

Film Details

Genre: Biography, Drama, Comedy

Distributor: Magenta Light Studios

Director: James McAvoy

Written By: Elaine Gracie, Archie Thomson

Starring: Seamus McLean Ross, Samuel Bottomley, Lucy Halliday, Rebekah Murrell, James McAvoy

Producers: Danny Page, Paul Aniello, Simon Kay, Michael Mendelsohn

Executive Producers: James McAvoy, Natalie Perrotta, Naysun Alae-Carew, Shahin Sobhani, Kieran Hannigan, Steven Little, Nicholas Crum, Lauren Lamarr, Stephen Kelliher, Yana Georgieva, Mehran Yazdani, Nizam Missaghi, Alistair Wood, Stuart Daly, Joel Michaely, Gavin Bain

Runtime: 107 minutes

Rating: R

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