Glasgow's James McAvoy will make his directorial debut with a film about a Scots rap duo who conned music bosses into giving them a record deal.

It will be a first time in the director's chair on a feature flick for the Drumchapel movie star as he tells the true story of Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd, two Dundee lads who pretended to be Californian rappers by putting on American accents. 

McAvoy told Hollywood publication Deadline it was a story he just had to tell and outlined his intent to employ Scottish talent on both sides of the camera. 

He told them: “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.”

In the late 90's, the pair saw their musical dreams consistently getting crushed due to having the 'wrong' accents.

So they decided to take a different tack and portrayed themselves as Cali duo Silibil N’ Brains, re-recording their own tracks with fake accents and claiming to be friends with Eminem.

They quickly bagged themselves a record deal, a hefty sum in advances, and an appearance on MTV - until it all came crashing down.

The as-yet-unnamed film is being led by Scottish producer Guy J Louthan and will start shooting next year with the majority of the production set to take place in Scotland.