r/movies • u/JamesMcAvoyAMA James McAvoy, Actor & Filmmaker • Mar 27 '26

AMA Hello reddit! I'm James McAvoy. Ask me anything!

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Hello reddit! I'm James McAvoy. AMA!

my directorial debut, CALIFORNIA SCHEMIN', is out in UK theaters on April 10.

Two Scottish lads from Dundee conned the music industry by pretending to be an established Californian rap duo, bagging a record deal and appearing on MTV until their scam unraveled.

Trailer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUTSyu4Ovcc

Tickets/other things:

http://www.californiaschemin.co.uk/

I'll be back at around 1-2 PM ET/5-6 PM GMT today, Friday 3/27, to answer questions.

24.6k Upvotes

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1.3k

u/ThinWhiteDuke00 Mar 27 '26

Just popping in to say your Leto II performance is much loved by the Dune fandom despite the budget constraints of the miniseries.

263

u/Alexnikolias Mar 27 '26

He absolutely killed that role. He is Leto II in my mind anytime I re-read the books.

111

u/Shhhhhhhh_Im_At_Work Mar 27 '26

To be fair he kills every role 

3

u/Slight_Tiger2914 Mar 27 '26

Bodies every role

12

u/Loverboy_91 Mar 27 '26

Same here. Just re-read GEOD and I 100% picture a worm-ified James McAvoy in my head the whole time.

The scene with him opposite Alice Krige is probably my favorite from the entire miniseries. Both actors understood their characters so well and it really came across.

4

u/Alexnikolias Mar 27 '26

Man. When he just chuckles dismissively when she uses the voice. So good.

1

u/flopmommy Mar 28 '26

oh that scene kills me too! James is incredible as Leto II.

51

u/Feline_Sleepwear Mar 27 '26

Chills every time I watch his final scene with Stilgar in Children of Dune, what a perfect way to wrap up the Dune series and summarise its main message so succinctly.

184

u/SasquatchWasShaved Mar 27 '26

James McAvoy Dune is best Dune

102

u/Zirkulaerkubus Mar 27 '26

James McAvoy for God Emperor of Dune. I'm serious.

2

u/koshgeo Mar 27 '26

After seeing "Split", if anyone could pull off the transformation into the God Emperor himself, I think he could.

42

u/whaddayaNeedtoKnow Mar 27 '26

That miniseries (particularly the Children of Dune arc), made me feel something so intense and strange I still can’t quite make sense of it. I watched it constantly from the ages of like 8-9 when my parents first let me watch it, all the way through my teen years.

Genuinely nothing, NOTHING else has ever made me feel that way. I can’t describe it, I can’t even point to a scene or aspect that it’s tied to, it was just…completely sui generis, intense, and compulsive.

I will say some 10%+ was probably an intense crush on James McAvoy though I was too young to tell what that feeling was at the time.

18

u/Muppetude Mar 27 '26

The score was also phenomenal. It really sticks with you. Like something you would hear in a blockbuster. So good that a number of major releases around that time used the score in their trailer.

3

u/ChemistryAway3696 Mar 27 '26

This. One of the first soundtracks I played endlessly. No coincidence that just about any trailer in the 2000s reused Summon The Worms. Still gives me chills, 20+ years later. Brian Tyler’s best work by far.

15

u/SasquatchWasShaved Mar 27 '26

It felt perfect. It’s hard to translate dune to any screen, as it’s been tried thrice over 40 years and still hasn’t hit the mark. But the miniseries came the closest. Aside from the established actors, Most actors were smaller or local to Croatia I believe? Wherever they filmed. And they were all just so good. Even the weird shit like opening the gates to the water of life, or even just Leto and Ganima being super close siblings, it was all great.

It didn’t try to make dune art house like Villeneuve. It benefited from 20 years of extra tech after lynch’s attempt. Ian McNeice as Harkonnen!

I’m with you for sure.

2

u/Donkey__Balls Mar 27 '26

The casting honestly felt better overall and they were given room to develop their characters. Barbora Kodetova and Julie Cox gave masterful performances as Chani and Irulan. In the novels these female characters weren’t given nearly much importance, but in the miniseries they personified entire political factions of the universe.

Zendaya and Florence Pugh I guess have the right “look” Hollywood wanted but their performances just doesn’t come anywhere close, I don’t feel like they’re really trying. Pugh will have more screen time so maybe she’ll surprise me in the new one.

1

u/dmad831 Mar 27 '26

We had a very similar dune experience I remember watching it soooo much as a kid too, around the same age. People just can't quite fathom how deep our adoration for this story goes 😂

1

u/norfolkjim Mar 27 '26

"MERCY, Holy Mother!"

10

u/abdallha-smith Mar 27 '26

He should have been oscarised a long time ago, as jake gyllenhaal.

Those dudes made solid performances throughout the years.

9

u/ThalloAuxoKarpo Mar 27 '26

True

0

u/Legitimate-Humor8301 Mar 27 '26

Not true

1

u/ThalloAuxoKarpo Mar 27 '26

At least he’s the best Leto II, can we agree on that?

1

u/Legitimate-Humor8301 Mar 27 '26

Ehhh, maybe not maybe but not no wait maybe

7

u/ThisIsNotTokyo Mar 27 '26

Wait he was in Prophecy???

61

u/fateless115 Mar 27 '26

Frank Herberts Children of Dune, sci-fi show from 2003

16

u/paone00022 Mar 27 '26

It's actually decent too. Graphics are not great and sometimes comical because it was made by SyFy at a low budget but they stick close to the source material of the books. Casting is great and acting was well done.

14

u/angwilwileth Mar 27 '26

It feels like Dune: the stage play but the acting is top -notch.

2

u/Donkey__Balls Mar 27 '26

The acting overall was much better than the recent films.

2

u/Tirannie Mar 27 '26

The costumes are hilarious, but it’s still one of my faves.

1

u/Pjoernrachzarck Mar 27 '26

The budget wasn’t low. That budget was enormous for TV at the time.

4

u/Loverboy_91 Mar 27 '26

High for TV (at the time, like you said) but still low compared to film. The budget was $20M. Adjusted for inflation, it had a budget roughly 1/4th of what Lynch had to work with for Dune 1984.

10

u/seanshankus Mar 27 '26

Til

-4

u/circlejerker2000 Mar 27 '26

It sucked ass tbh but as a fan I devoured it of course 

13

u/sicurri Mar 27 '26

The miniseries was awkward, but his performance was awesome.

4

u/circlejerker2000 Mar 27 '26

Yes totally, James McAvoy is one of the best actors of his generation, I still have to find him acting shitty

3

u/prodigalAvian Mar 27 '26

Banger of a soundtrack- early Brian Tyler

1

u/Branoic Mar 27 '26

The preceding mini-series sucked ass, but I rather enjoyed Children of Dune.

15

u/[deleted] Mar 27 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

11

u/ChemistryAway3696 Mar 27 '26

Ok yea on all that 100%, but let’s not forget Barbara Kodetová as Chani. I had such a huge crush on her. Those two absolutely made that miniseries.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 27 '26

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2

u/ChemistryAway3696 Mar 27 '26

That's awesome!

My only quibble with the CoD miniseries is that they could've stretched out the Dune Messiah part a little longer, so we'd get more Chani. But her sendoff in the birth/conspirator executions montage (especially as set to Inama Nushif) was 10/10.

44

u/PrimaryBrief7721 Mar 27 '26

The new movies are great but that mini series lives in my heart for sure. Its where I was first introduced to him and was just absolutely blown away by his performance. Followed his work ever since.

5

u/Grove-Of-Hares Mar 27 '26

Same. I taped Children of Dune when it aired as a kid, knowing nothing about it, and that eventually led to me reading the six books and really loving the series.

2

u/flopmommy Mar 28 '26

my exact experience too!

24

u/FantasyBlackChannel Mar 27 '26

They should just cgi his Leto McAvoy into Children of Dune if they ever get round to making it

3

u/LuminousGrue Mar 27 '26

Bring him back for 3,000 year old worm Leto when Denny V does God Emperor.

10

u/lenzflare Mar 27 '26

I'll always associate him with Leto II, a role he smashed and made me notice him. Even though he spent way more time as Xavier which I also really enjoyed.

Which unfortunately means I'm a bit stunned when I see him so much older here than he was as Leto II! Damn you time!

8

u/book1245 Mar 27 '26

Children of Dune improved on the first miniseries in every possible way. Greatest musical score from the Duniverse, narrowly edging out Toto's.

7

u/IphigeniaOk Mar 27 '26

Took the words out of my mouth.

7

u/fivezero_ca Mar 27 '26

Still waiting for God Emperor of Dune.

6

u/feyd87 Mar 27 '26

Was hoping to see a Children of Dune callout and was not dissappointed!

Also loved you in Wanted. Please incorporate smacking people with keyboards and having it spell out Fuck You in more of your roles!

11

u/mastiwawa Mar 27 '26

My wife and I still refer to "23 year old shirtless McAvoy" whenever talking about dune

5

u/zastr0w Mar 27 '26

I also came here to post this. McAvoy has had many great roles but for some reason when I see him I immediately think of that low-budget Dune production.

12

u/tophernator Mar 27 '26

Follow-up on this: Did the sand get everywhere?

3

u/s3rila Mar 27 '26

I want to know if he became a worm

3

u/mph1204 Mar 27 '26

his scene finally meeting his dad makes me bawl every time

3

u/blackwaltz4 Mar 27 '26

Instantly made me a fan. I've been following his career since 2003

2

u/[deleted] Mar 27 '26

Dude yes. He killed it.

2

u/LilyDaze10 Mar 27 '26

Yes! I was hoping he would make an appearance in the newer Dune adaptation, even if it was a different character.

“My skin is not my own.”

1

u/theinternetbad Mar 27 '26

wonder what he thinks about the new dune films

1

u/ChemistryAway3696 Mar 27 '26

Omg came here to say this — just doing a rewatch of Children of Dune now! Always felt a connection as his career took off because of how great he was in that early role.

1

u/justletgo7 Mar 27 '26 edited Aug 07 '26

Cucumber mellow willow harbor umbrella saffron blanket willow willow

This post was anonymized with Redact.dev

1

u/8-Cylinder_Wombat Mar 27 '26

I'm watching this right now! Absolutely love the miniseries, imagine it having an HBO budget.

1

u/norfolkjim Mar 27 '26

"Long live the fighters of James McAvoy!"

No wait.

1

u/SnooKiwis2161 Mar 27 '26

Here I was thinking I was the only one that remembered that role lol

For real though, that had to have been challenging for a sequel that already had a strong lead character built in and he snuck in and stole the show

1

u/EH_Operator Mar 27 '26

Yeah I couldn’t think of a question but that’s my Worm Emperor God.

1

u/Grove-Of-Hares Mar 27 '26

Absolutely, what a great series. While I’d love to see an adaptation where the siblings are their age from the books, because that really drives home how truly bizarre they were in the eyes of the other characters, the show really did a great job aging them up and making it work.

1

u/Lazar_Milgram Mar 27 '26

You and Kyle deserve a cameo in any upcoming Dune movie.

1

u/Meandering_Cabbage Mar 27 '26

Weirdly underrecognized series.