British company Fable Pictures has optioned the rights to Deborah Cadbury‘s book Chocolate Wars, which chronicles the battle for global chocolate dominance between the likes of Cadbury, Nestle and Hershey, and plan to develop it into a TV drama series.
The company, which is ran by The Crown and Suffragette producer Faye Ward, has partnered with writer Smita Bhide (The Indian Detective) and director Tom Harper (The Aeronauts) to develop the series.
The book was originally published in 2010 and tells the story of the chocolate bar battle between three different families – Cadbury, Rowntree and Fry, plus American entrepreneur Milton Hershey and European firms Nestle and Lindt. The focus will be on the the British Quaker dynasties who fought to win control of the Victorian chocolate industry in a story packed with romance, betrayal and rivalry.
The series will draw on Cadbury’s historical book, which impressively charts over 150 years of Cadbury history, but will blend fact with fiction while telling the story of the two very disparate brothers, George and Richard Cadbury. It will also reportedly “use the chocolate industry in the late 19th Century as a microcosm to explore the industrial revolution and the roots of capitalism as we know it today”.
“This is an evocative piece of history that I have always been intrigued by. I love that it still continues to give us pleasures and comfort in our everyday lives today”, said Ward. “It’s the enduring, complex conflict between the families that really give the show its heart and soul, and we’re thrilled to have Smita and Tom on board to bring this unique story to life on screen”.
The story will globe trot from Birmingham to Trinidad to Pennsylvania and Switzerland, so production could be lengthy when it does eventually start. We’ll keep an eye on details regarding casting and where the series might eventually end up airing.
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