BritBox has announced a new original series, Chocolate Wars (working title) with UKTV and Sony Pictures Television. Inspired by Deborah Cadbury’s book and the true story of the Cadbury family, the period drama is written by Chloë Mi Lin Ewart (All Creatures Great & Small, Beyond Paradise) and will premiere on BritBox in 2027.
BritBox describes the series as “a warm-hearted family drama following the visionary Cadbury family, the underdogs of the cocoa world, on their journey towards creating the world-famous Cadbury’s chocolate bar.”
The official synopsis for Chocolate Wars reads, “In 1860s Birmingham, when chocolate as we know it doesn’t yet exist, two very different brothers, Richard and George Cadbury, find themselves in charge of their family’s failing cocoa business. Between them, they have the radical genius and burning ambition to turn Cadbury’s into one of the world’s most beloved confectioners. But first, they must learn to trust and rely on each other. And to stop bickering for long enough to actually invent some chocolate! Their sister Maria is navigating her own role within the family and the business, but things become even more complicated when she falls in love with Cadbury’s biggest rival, and is forced to question where her true loyalties really lie. Infused with historical delights and magical invention, Chocolate Wars is about how we build, break and rebuild the bonds of family – and how the sweetest things in life are rarely simple.”
Tom McKay (After the Flood, Ten Pound Poms) and Jill Robertson (Ludwig, The Diplomat) will direct the series with Hannah Farrell (Hullraisers, Jane Eyre) producing. Chloë Mi Lin Ewart leads the writing team, alongside Eve Hedderwick Turner (Alice Through the Looking Glass) and Karim Khan (All Creatures Great & Small).
Casting is underway, with filming in Birmingham set to begin this summer.
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