The Victorian Chocolatier
Inspired by the history of Britain's Quaker chocolate makers.
A young Quaker apprentice in 19th-century Britain battles intense rivalry and social prejudice to build a chocolate empire founded on his faith’s promise of righteous business – while pursuing a woman above his class and outside his religion. Then he discovers the cocoa in his warehouses is harvested by enslaved hands – and the entanglement runs deeper than he can trace.
Official Selection & Best Feature Screenplay Nominee - Forward Film & Television Festival 2026See film nominations hereFormat: Feature Screenplay (119 Pages)
Setting: 19th-Century Britain / Victorian Era
Genre: Prestige Historical Drama / Moral Thriller
Comparable Titles: The Imitation Game meets The InsiderThe screenplay is available for option or acquisition. The complete script, extended 8-minute preview reel and visual pitch deck are available to producers, agents and development executives on request. It is registered with the US Copyright Office and protected under UK copyright law.
Proof of Concept (POC) Trailer
Proof-of-concept trailer created using generative AI tools for visual development.
Why now?
Britain is still debating how to reckon with its part in the slave trade, including growing calls for reparations. The Victorian Chocolatier goes back to where many of those fortunes were made, and asks who profited, who was remembered and who was left to pay.
Scenes from the POC
The Apothecary - where the love for chocolate begins
The Calling
The Apprentice's Craft
Parliament & The Abolitionist Campaign
The Underground Railroad: Freedom Lines
David Ashford at the London Exchange
Josiah Navigates the London Cocoa Houses
Cocoa Plantations: The Hidden Human Cost
The Creator
Lisa Mac is a London-based screenwriter with a background in history, politics and economics. The Victorian Chocolatier is her first feature screenplay, and she is currently developing her next, a fantasy.
Contact
The screenplay is available to producers, agents and industry professionals on request. For option, acquisition or representation enquiries, please contact: [email protected]