Surely to stir up lots of conversation before a single frame is even shot… George Tillman Jr's State Street Pictures has picked up feature film rights to a book titled Swirling: How to Date, Mate and Relate, Mixing Race, Culture and Creed, co-authored by pop culture blogger Christelyn D. Karazin and journalist Janice Rhoshalle Littlejohn (both of them above, center).

Tillman will direct the feature film adaptation himself, which will be exec produced by Tillman, as well as both Karazin and Littlejohn, along with State Street Pictures co-chief Robert Teitel.

State Street Pictures creative executive Stacy Glassgold will oversee the development of the film, based on the book which was, as the press release states:

Written as a dating wake-up call for African American women [that] quickly attracted general audience readers both male and female. It is the first handbook on navigating the exciting, tricky, and potentially disastrous terrain of interracial, intercultural and interfaith relationships, with testimonials and expert tips on how to make the bumpy ride a bit smoother.

“Swirling” debunks social, cultural and sexual myths on “dating out” and serves as a practical guide for coping with disapproving friends and family, and offers advice from mixed couples who are happily “swirling.”

The book was released just a couple of months ago – May 15, 2012 – by Atria Paperback (Simon & Schuster), and has been met with both critical and reader approval.

You can pick up a copy at your local bookseller, online or in the real world.

This follows the success of the adaptation of Steve Harvey's best-seller on dating/relationship advice for women – Think Like A Man – which has grossed over $90 million to date.

But maybe a closer sibling to this new project would be the 2006 rom-com that starred Sanaa Lathan, called Something New, which also tackled interracial relationships from the black woman's POV. It's a film that didn't do gangbusters at the box office, grossing just over $11 million (about $12.5 million adjusted for inflation), despite what were mostly positive reviews from both critics and audiences. So it'll interesting to watch this and see how well it's received  whenever it's eventually made and released.

One thing it has going for it is the fact that it'll be based on a book that's apparently growing in awareness and popularity, which should be a plus.