James McAvoy on California Schemin'

James McAvoy on California Schemin'

From WHAT WENT WRONG by Sad Boom Media

April 10, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

James McAvoy discusses his directorial debut, California Schemin’, exploring its themes and his experiences behind the camera.

This week, the one and only James McAvoy joins Chris and Lizzie to break down what went wrong - and very right - on his directorial debut, California Schemin’ . The film follows two young Scottish rappers who get laughed out of the music industry… until they start pretending to be American. It’s a true story of ambition, delusion, and the blurry line between reinvention and outright fraud. Find out what drew McAvoy to the script, how he assembled the perfect cast, and what surprised him most about stepping behind the camera for the first time. Plus, discover the tricks he borrowed from some of the best directors he’s worked with (and which ones actually worked). Check out California Schemin’ in UK theaters starting today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Chris, Lizzie

Guest: James McAvoy

Topics covered

  • directorial debut
  • film analysis
  • music industry
  • ambition
  • reinvention
  • fraud

Keywords

  • James McAvoy
  • California Schemin’
  • directorial debut
  • Scottish rappers
  • music industry
  • film analysis

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sad Boom Media

Books & works: California Schemin’

Places: UK

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