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James McAvoy makes his feature directorial debut about the true story of two Scottish musicians from Dundee who pretended to be Californian rap duo, Silibil N' Brains, Deadline exclusively reported.
McAvoy, who played the younger Professor X, stated, “Using Scottish talent behind and in front of the camera is something I’m passionate about and I’m over the moon to be making my directorial debut in my homeland. The film will first and foremost be a celebration of the Scottish spirit, but the ‘Silibil N’ Brains’ duo’s audacious fakery can’t help but appeal to audiences worldwide.”
The story revolves around two Scotsmen, Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, who were constantly ridiculed for their ‘wrong' accents as they try to pursue their musical ambitions. The duo definitively answered the question, “Never give up, never what?”
They didn't surrender. They did, however, re-record their own tracks using fake accents. Then they showed up in London, telling people they were established California rappers and childhood friends of Eminem.
That got them a record deal, a significant advance on their album and an MTV appearance. All was well, until it wasn't.
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The BAFTA-winning actor told the news site that the story “beggars belief” and that he couldn't wait “to bring this absolutely incredible, and also very Scottish/Californian story to the cinema.”
Bain's 2010 memoir originally called California Schemin' told the story. It was reprinted later as Straight Outta Scotland. The title is a play on legendary gangsta rap group N.W.A.'s 1988 album, Straight Outta Compton. It was also the title of the 2015 biopic.
Straight Outta Scotland was adapted into a documentary, The Great Hip Hop Hoax, screened at the 2013 SXSW.
The film will start shooting in 2024, with most of the production set in Scotland. Casting will begin later this year.
