A ‘White Lotus’ breakout is about to make a movie about chocolate with the ‘Mean Girls’ director

In proof that they’ll make a movie out of just about anything (ahem, Minecraft), Hollywood has greenlit a film about Hershey Chocolate, with a White Lotus alum leading the cast. 

It’s news that has the faint whiff of Roald Dahl (and sugar), and it’s said that the upcoming live-action flick, titled Hershey, will chronicle the origin story behind the titular chocolate company. It will be directed by Mark Waters — who has elsewhere helmed Freaky Friday and Mean Girls — and will star perpetual Ryan Murphy muse Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario. The latter actress is perhaps best known as a former guest on The White Lotus, appearing as Rachel Patton in season one of the HBO anthology series. 

For his part, Wittrock will portray Mr. Milton Hershey himself (be damned, Willy Wonka!), while Daddario will play his wife, Kitty. If your only knowledge of chocolate-making comes courtesy of Augustus Gloop or the Oompa Loompas, then I regret to inform you that the plot of Hershey sounds a little less whimsical (or terrifying, in Tim Burton’s case). The upcoming flick will trace the married couple as they build a candy empire that goes on to spawn a philanthropic legacy, since the real-life inspirations were both charitable and sweet toothed. 

In 1909, Milton and Kitty founded the Hershey Industrial School, which despite sounding like a cavity waiting to happen, actually provided free education and housing to orphans and underprivileged children. Their story is proof that you can have your (chocolate) cake and eat it, too, and the accompanying film is set to begin filming in May across Pennsylvania. The lore around the Hersheys goes deeper than a chocolate fondue (I’ll stop with the puns soon, I promise), because 20 years before his death, Milton transferred the majority of his fortune into the Milton Hershey School Trust, planting the seed (or the cocoa bean) for one of the wealthiest educational endowments in the country. 

"We are fast-tracking… a Hershey's movie." https://t.co/tsyRr7Gv2R pic.twitter.com/9mWujaz1PZ

— Jack McBryan (@McBDirect) April 8, 2025

The Hersheys also developed a town around their chocolate factory, which not only sounds like something ripped straight from a children’s book, but saw the couple build surrounding theaters, recreation centers and public transportation for their workers. Hey, who said the CIC (chocolate industrial complex) was a bad thing? Speaking of the film in a press statement (per Variety), Water said that “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.” I can think of one supposedly successful guy who could learn a thing or two from Hershey, though he’s probably more interested in the McDonald’s empire.

“I’m excited to have Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario to portray these two visionaries,” Waters said, adding that Hershey is “the kind of wonderful, true story that audiences are hungry for right now.” As the old saying goes, build it (the chocolate factory) and they will come. Hershey is expected to be released sometime in 2026, and given the logline, Daddario can expect a far better (and tastier) fate than what awaited her in The White Lotus.

Alexandra Daddario as Rachel patton on "The White Lotus" pic.twitter.com/6zE55n4F2j

— Scarlet Speedster (@ScarletSpeeds16) June 15, 2024

Then again, her character fared pretty well in comparison to Aimee Lou Wood’s Chelsea, but the season three finale wound is still too fresh for me to even elaborate on that. To compensate, I’m off to engulf a chocolate bar even though it’s breakfast time.