Horses? Dirt Roads? What’s Going on in Harmony?
The Butler County town is one of several locations where filming for the upcoming biopic "Hershey" is scheduled to take place.
PHOTOS BY MARYALICE REPPERT, ELLA SHIPLEY AND JESSICA SINICHAK
What would the Harmonists think about this?
Earlier this week, the Butler County town, which was settled in the early 19th century by the Harmony Society religious group, was the site of filming for the upcoming “Hershey” movie starring Finn Wittrock and Alexandra Daddario.
Scheduled to shoot throughout the Pittsburgh region from May 12 through June 27, the biopic navigates the life of chocolatier Milton Hershey (played by Wittrock) and his wife, Kitty (played by Daddario), as they build a candy empire in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
It also explores the founding of the Hershey Industrial School, which provided free education and housing to orphans and underprivileged children.
During filming, the town located about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh was given a Hollywood makeover that took it back a century in time. Several thoroughfares were covered in mulch to transform them into dirt roads traversed by horses and carriages. Set extras dressed in costumes from the late 1800s also milled around the area as streets were closed to traffic.
Built in 1809, The Harmony Museum was reimagined as a general store, while another 1800s-era building became a print-and-binder shop.
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Located in a historical opera hall, Wunderbar Coffee & Crepes had its windows and doors painted to turn it into an old-fashioned coffee and tea shop. The popular eatery was closed for several days while filming took place inside and outside of the building.
Although filming in Harmony wrapped up on Wednesday, production for “Hershey” will continue throughout the greater Pittsburgh region, although exact locations have yet to be announced. Set for a 2026 release, the film is being directed by “Mean Girls” and “Freaky Friday” helmer Mark Waters.
