Antwone Fisher explains in his novel "Finding Fish", that he took a free screenwriting class at Bethel A.M.E. Church after a chance encounter with a limo driver. The class was taught by Chris Smith, who delivered an introduction to a producer named Todd Black. Black was impressed with Fisher's story. Black reviewed the script for a week and told Fisher that though he couldn't make a deal, he wanted to hire him full-time as a screenwriter. Fisher wrote 41 drafts until the script was sold by Black to 20th Century Fox, who ultimately released it under their Fox Searchlight Pictures banner. The film marks the directorial debut of Denzel Washington, the first screenwriting credit for Antwone Fisher, and the first feature film-role for Derek Luke. Washington was brought the script originally just to play the part of Jerome Davenport. But Washington's agent called Black and told him he not only wanted to act in the film, he wanted it to be his directorial debut.