Bob Yari’s fledgling Magenta Light Studios has acquired US theatrical rights to California Schemin’, James McAvoy’s feature directorial debut that premiered in Toronto last year and closed Glasgow Film Festival on Sunday (March 8).
The feature charts the extraordinary story of the Dundee rap duo Silibil N’ Brains, who adopted fake US personas to hoodwink the London hip‑hop scene in the early 2000s. The riches followed until the illusion became too hard to maintain.
Séamus McLean Ross, Samuel Bottomley, and Lucy Halliday star, and McAvoy also features. Archie Thomson and Elaine Gracie adapted the screenplay from Gavin Bain’s autobiography California Schemin’, which was later reissued as Straight Outta Scotland.
Danny Page of Homefront Productions and Michael Mendelsohn of Patriot Pictures produced alongside Paul Aniello and Simon Kay. The film was made with funding from The National Lottery through Screen Scotland, while Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital affiliate financed the production. It is presented in association with Zertex Media and Pont Neuf Productions and produced in association with Blazing Griffin and Tartan Bridge Films.
Magenta Light Studios plans a nationwide theatrical release later this year and negotiated the acquisition with UTA Independent Film Group on behalf of the filmmakers. Bankside Films represents international rights and served as executive producers.
The Silibil N’ Brains story was previously adapted into 2013 SXSW documentary The Great Hip Hop Hoax.
Magenta Light Studios recently released Adrian Grunberg’s Protector starring Milla Jovovich, Simon West’s Bride Hard starring Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp, Anna Chlumsky and Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and JT Mollner’s thriller Strange Darling. Coming up is Renny Harlin’s Deep Water starring Aaron Eckhart and Ben Kingsley on May 1.
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