Billy Porter’s Trans Rom-Com 'What If?' Has Found its Lead: Eva Reign

There’s no What If? about it: the lead for Billy Porter’s directorial debut has been cast. Black transgender writer, actress, and artist Eva Reign is set to start in the high school rom-com. 

What If? is a coming-of-age romance focusing on Kelsa (Reign), a trans high school senior who catches the eye of Khal, their cis classmate. Khal posts online about his feelings for Kelsa and the internet encourages him to shoot his shot. The film follows their relationship. 

The film is based on a Reddit post that went viral in 2018. In the post, a 17-year-old was seeking advice about his crush on a trans classmate. He was worried about how it would impact his social life, but, at the same time, his feelings were so strong. "Ladies and gentlemen of Reddit, I can't even begin to explain how absolutely and painfully beautiful this girl is," he wrote in the post. "She totally makes me feel lovesick. If I were a cartoon my eyes would turn into hearts and leap from their sockets whenever I see her. She makes me feel weak in the knees...the butterflies in my belly are aggressive and many...I could write poetry about this woman." Folks on Reddit overwhelmingly encouraged the teen to ask her out. 

Reign is stepping into the role, after Yasmin Finney, a 17-year-old Black trans woman from Manchester, England, had to back out when production was unable to get a work visa for her because of the pandemic. But now Reign is rounding out the cast, alongside Renee Elise Goldsberry, Courtnee Carter, Kelly Lamor Wilson, and Grant Reynolds.

Reign broke the news of being cast as Kelsa on her Instagram. “big news y’all! super excited to announce that i’m starring in @theebillyporter’s directorial debut WHAT IF?,” the actress wrote. “get ready for some magic,” she wrote.

What If? is scheduled to shoot in Porter's hometown Pittsburgh, PA over the summer. No word yet on when it will be hitting screens.