McAvoy’s debut as director will tell story of ‘Californian’ duo
JAMES McAvoy is to make a movie about the true story of two Scots who fooled the music industry into believing they were American rappers.
The Hollywood star will make his directorial debut with the extraordinary tale of former Dundee College students Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd.
The duo pretended to be from California after their accents were mocked by record company executives in London, who described them as the rapping Proclaimers, when they were trying to make a breakthrough as a hip-hop act.
They reinvented themselves as US hip-hoppers Silibil N’ Brains, basing their characters on Eminem, Jim Carrey and members of TV show Jackass, and landed a £100,000 record deal, appeared on MTV and supported Eminem.
But the strain of keeping up the pretence led to them confessing their true identities and the scrapping of their first album. The film is being produced by Homefront Productions and will start shooting next year with the majority of the production set to take place in Scotland.
Glasgow-born X-Men star McAvoy, 44, said: “What these two young men from Dundee attempted beggars belief and I can’t wait to bring this absolutely incredible, and also very Scottish/Californian story to the cinema.
“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.”