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\n\tEXCLUSIVE<\/strong>: BritBox is close to agreeing a deal to greenlight Chocolate Wars<\/em>, a series chronicling 19th-century confectionery empire-building.<\/p>\n \n\tThe drama, which has been in the works for more than eight years, is inspired by the 2010 historical book of the same name by Deborah Cadbury, an Emmy-winning TV producer who belongs to the Cadbury dynasty.<\/p>\n \n\tSony Pictures Television-backed Fable Pictures (Mr Loverman<\/em>) is producing the series in association with Alfresco Pictures, the banner founded by The Good Doctor<\/em> star Freddie Highmore and Claire Londy.<\/p>\n \n\tChlo\u00eb Mi Lin Ewart, who has penned multiple episodes of PBS Masterpiece hit series All Creatures Great and Small<\/em>, is attached as lead writer. Fable\u2019s Faye Ward and Hannah Farrell are set to executive produce alongside Highmore and Londy. Sony will distribute internationally.<\/p>\n \n\tBritBox has not yet finalized the deal, but the plan is for production to get underway later this year. The BBC Studios-owned streaming service continues to grow its slate of originals, with upcoming titles including The Lady<\/em> and Agatha Christie\u2019s Tommy & Tuppence<\/em>. <\/p>\n \n\tDeadline hears that British network UKTV, also owned by BBC Studios, is set to co-produce Chocolate Wars<\/em>. BritBox, UKTV, and Sony declined to comment.<\/p>\n \n\tFable Pictures first optioned Chocolate Wars<\/em> in 2018, as reported by Deadline at the time. The book, published by HarperCollins,\u00a0tells the story of the invention of the chocolate bar and the battle between three\u00a0British families (Cadbury, Rowntree, and Fry), American entrepreneur Milton Hershey, and European firms Nestl\u00e9 and Lindt.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tDeborah Cadbury\u2019s great, great-grandfather was the older brother of John Cadbury, who founded the cocoa shop that went on to be transformed into a global enterprise now known simply as Cadbury.<\/p>\n \n\tWhen originally conceived, the Chocolate Wars<\/em> drama planned to use the chocolate industry in the late 19th century as a microcosm to explore the industrial revolution and the roots of capitalism in a sweeping international saga. It\u2019s not clear how much of this original vision remains intact.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n