Director Mark Waters, best known for Mean Girls and Freaky Friday, is diving into a story with a very different flavor, Hershey, a live-action film about the man behind one of the world’s most beloved chocolate candy empires.
Finn Wittrock (Ratched, American Horror Story) will star as Milton Hershey, with Alexandra Daddario (The White Lotus) playing his wife, Catherine “Kitty” Hershey.
Filming kicks off in May across Pennsylvania, the state that became the heart of the Hershey brand. Though the film doesn’t yet have a distributor, it’s aiming for a 2026 release to coincide with the U.S. Semiquincentennial, which is the country’s 250th anniversary.
The film will explore the philanthropic foundation the Hersheys built alongside their chocolate empire. In 1909, the couple founded the Hershey Industrial School, now the Milton Hershey School, offering free education and housing to children in need.
Years before his death, Milton transferred the bulk of his wealth to the school’s trust, which was a move that helped create one of the largest educational endowments in the U.S.
Waters shared some insight in to the story, saying: “Against all odds, Milton achieved great success, but unlike a lot of other wealthy men of his time, he shared his success with the working people and community around him.
“The core of ‘Hershey,’ the movie, will be the special love story between Milton and Catherine Hershey, who inspired his greatest legacy — the creation of Milton Hershey School.
“I’m excited to have Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario to portray these two visionaries, who believed in leaving the world a better place than they found it — the kind of wonderful, true story that audiences are hungry for right now.”
The project comes from Dandelion Media, in partnership with the Hershey Entities and in association with Aloe Entertainment, Peachtree Group, and RCM3. UTA is handling worldwide rights.
Source: Variety
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