Lionsgate and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Films will develop the Chris Rock vehicle Will You Be My Black Friend?

The project is based on a magazine article by Devin Friedman published in GQ in November 2008 about Friedman’s efforts to make black friends.

Lionsgate holds worldwide rights and Winfrey is producing with Harpo Films president Kate Forte and senior vice-president Carla Gardini. Rock will star.

Winfrey is a co-presenter and executive producr on Lionsgate’s awards season contender Precious: Based On The Novel “Push” By Sapphire. 

Gardini brought the project to Harpo Films and will supervise production alongside Lionsgate’s president of motion picture production Mike Paseornek. Lionsgate director of development Charisse Nesbit will also work on the project.