Aaron Sorkin is preparing a sequel to his 2010 Facebook drama The Social Network, having found the source material for his new story.
The original film, written by Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, starred Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg in a dramatisation of the early days of Facebook. The film co-starred Andrew Garfield as investor Eduardo Saverin and Justin Timberlake as Napster creator Sean Parker. While Zuckerberg and others have questioned the accuracy of the portrayal, the drama was a box office hit and won numerous awards including three Oscars.
The movie is also remembered as one of the best of the 2010s, with director Quentin Tarantino calling it the greatest film of the decade in 2020.
Now, Deadline reports that Sorkin has begun working on a follow up, titled The Social Network Part II. The screenplay is based on the Wall Street Journal investigation The Facebook Files by Jeff Horowitz, which explored the inner workings of the company (since renamed Meta) through internal document leaks.
Sources have told the outlet that rather than being a direct sequel, the writer is interested in investigating the social media platform’s “effect on teens, preteens, violence and countries outside the U.S.”. It’s also said that the January 6, 2021 riots, where supporters of Donald Trump attacked the United States Capitol, will also factor into the storytelling, something that Sorkin has discussed in the past.
It’s unknown whether Eisenberg will return, or to what extent Zuckerberg will be present in the story. No production or release dates have been announced, although the report states Sorkin will be taking over directing duties from Fincher.
Despite The Social Network being one of his most celebrated performance, Eisenberg recently distanced himself from Zuckerberg given the tech giant’s recent actions. “I don’t want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that” he said. “It’s not like I played a great golfer or something and now people think I’m a great golfer”.