The story of Kitty and Milton Hershey, and the formation of the Hershey chocolate empire, is heading to the movies.
Hollywood’s fixation with worshipping at the feet of big business is an odd recent trend. It’s not that the movies haven’t been decent, with Air from Ben Affleck very well done, and Flamin’ Hot telling the story of Cheetos too. But still: there’s something a little bit iffy about the celebration of major corporations, and it’s not a trend that’s going away.
Next up, it’s a movie about Hershey’s chocolate empire. A film with good personnel behind it as well. Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario are going to be taking the lead roles in the production, which is going by the name of Hershey. The film is then going to be directed by Mark Waters, he of Mean Girls fame.
In fairness too, the story here is slightly different. The movie looks to be focusing on the tale of Kitty and Milton Hershey, who built up a chocolate empire and then used the funds to actually do good in their local community. In fact, the Milton Hershey School continues to this day, and you can read a little more about it here.
The Hershey Company, which made nearly $1bn in profit in the last quarter of 2024, is entirely on board with the movie about its founder. Michele Buck is president and CEO of The Hershey Company, and she’s said that “This movie will reveal how Milton and Kitty built something far greater than a chocolate company. Their legacy extends beyond sweet treats to education, community and opportunity for thousands. We’re proud to support a film that shares the full Hershey story – one of resilience, vision and impact that continues to inspire today.”
The high watermark in recent times of stories about big business names remains, I’d argue, the Blackberry film that sort of came and went a little bit. Well worth seeking out.
More on Hershey as we hear it. Expect tie-in chocolate bars.
