'Hershey,' the origin story of Pa.'s own chocolate company, films in Butler County
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The “Hershey” movie, which tells the story of Milton Hershey’s company with Finn Whitrock in the role of its founder, began filming in Western Pennsylvania on Monday.
The initial days of the production, set to wrap Wednesday, per the company, took place north of Pittsburgh in Harmony, Butler County.
Hershey first announced the film last month, with Alexandra Daddario (“The White Lotus”) playing opposite Whitrock (“American Horror Story) as Kitty Hershey. Mark Waters (“Mean Girls”) directs.
A “Hershey” casting notice for extras from Lawrenceville-based Nancy Mosser Casting said filming will take place in and around Pittsburgh through June 27.
“It’s been a pretty neat thing here in town,” said Amy Stockett, a server at the Harmony Inn. While she hasn’t seen any of the cast grab food at the inn’s restaurant, crew members have been coming in since last month.
“We can see out our window what’s going on, and they’re all over the place today,” she said Wednesday.
Her guess as to why Harmony was selected as a filming location is the small town’s number of buildings dating to the 1800s. In addition to log cabins in the area, the Harmony Museum, per its website, dates to 1809.
Stockett’s suspicion tracks: Hershey founded his eponymous company in 1894.
The film, per an April 8 news release, tells that origin story.
“Milton Hershey's story exemplifies the American Dream," said Hershey Company Michele Buck president and CEO in the release. "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."