EXCLUSIVE: Tony Award winner Reed Birney has joined the cast of Limbo, U.S.A., an English and Turkish-language LGBT romantic drama starring Turkish actor Sercan Badur in his English-language feature debut.
Can Merdan Doğan will direct from a screenplay by New York-based actor-writers David Beck (Regarding Us) and Ezgi Cohen (Disko Kralı).
The drama follows a celebrated Turkish television star who immigrates to New York, where he falls in love with a male kindergarten teacher, forcing him to choose between the family and career he thought he left behind and the future he’s finally brave enough to pursue.
Birney will portray John Russell, the father of Adam (Beck), whose quiet compassion and hard-earned wisdom become an unexpected source of hope for Mehmet (Badur) as he struggles to reconcile love, family, faith, and identity.
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Badur is best known for his performances as Cihan Sipahi in War of the Roses (Güllerin Savaşı), Time Goes By (Öyle Bir Geçer Zaman ki), An Anatolian Tale, the Disney+ series Nothing Will Happen to Us, and the feature films Arif v 216 and Annem (My Mother).
Birney won a Tony Award for his performance in the 2016 Broadway show The Humans, while his TV and film credits include The Handmaid’s Tale, Succession, If You See Something and Blue Film.
Doğan makes his feature directorial debut after award-winning shorts including Stiletto: A Pink Family Tragedy and The Longest Night which have played at numerous festivals including the BFI London, Antalya, Ankara, Tel Avi and Pink Life QueerFest.
The film is produced by Catriona Rubenis-Stevens (Regarding Us) of Half-Light Productions alongside Beck and Cohen. Beck produces through The Great Griffon, a New York-based production company dedicated to developing stories centered around immigrant and LGBTQ+ lives.
Of joining the project, Sercan Badur said: “This story shines a light on a gay man’s search for belonging, freedom, and self-discovery. The awakening of self-awareness and how it deepens one’s life is profoundly meaningful to me, which is why I feel deeply drawn to being part of this film.”
David Beck added: “At its heart, Limbo, U.S.A. is about the courage it takes to choose love over fear. We’re honored to welcome Reed Birney, one of the most respected actors working today, to help bring this story to life.”
Principal photography is scheduled to begin in May 2027 in New York City and New Jersey, with additional filming in Istanbul and post-production in Germany
