Back in 2010, director David Fincher turned the rise of Facebook into a blockbuster cinematic event. The Social Network grossed an impressive $224 million worldwide off a budget of just $40 million. Now, fifteen years later, a pseduo-sequel is in development, though Fincher is not involved.
The Social Reckoning is being written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the original film and is best known for his work on projects like Steve Jobs, The Newsroom, and The West Wing. It’s as yet unknown if anyone else from the original production, like composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, will be involved in the new film.
Set 20 years after the events of The Social Network, The Social Reckoning is based on the 2021 “Facebook Files” report written by Jeff Horowitz, about Facebook’s hand in the rise of political misinformation and other shady dealings by the social media platform. Horowitz will be played by Jeremy Allen White in the film, with Mark Zuckerberg, played by Jesse Eisenberg in the original, will be portrayed by Jeremy Strong in the new movie, which is described as a “companion” piece to The Social Network.
The supporting cast will include Mikey Madison and Bill Burr, though, thanks to his participation in the Riyadh Comedy Festival, Burr will have more than enough Saudi blood money to not have to participate in the movie if he doesn’t want to. Besides, while Russia used social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter to spread misinformation, the Saudis don’t have to manipulate the flow of information; they can just buy good will with cold hard cash. I mean, Jamal Khashoggi who, right?