Per a Deadline exclusive, Aaron Sorkin’s highly anticipated sequel to The Social Network is taking shape, with Oscar winner Mikey Madison and Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White reportedly being considered for lead roles.
The film would reportedly be a significant shift from the original 2010 film – which focused on Facebook’s creation – to examining the platform’s darker consequences in modern society (and we’re not just talking about the influx of Boomer memes).
The Social Network: quick links
The Social Network legacy
David Fincher’s 2010 masterpiece The Social Network transformed the story of Facebook’s founding into a compelling drama about ambition, betrayal, and the price of success. Based on Ben Mezrich’s book ‘The Accidental Billionaires,’ the film earned eight Academy Award nominations and won three, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin.
The film opens in 2003, when Harvard undergrad and computer programmer Mark Zuckerberg has just begun work on a new concept that eventually turns into the global social network known as Facebook.
Six years later, Zuckerberg is one of the youngest billionaires ever, but his unprecedented success leads to both personal and legal complications when he ends up on the receiving end of two lawsuits, one involving his former friend Eduardo Saverin.
Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg became iconic, capturing the tech mogul’s complex personality during Facebook’s tumultuous early days at Harvard University.
The film grossed $224 million worldwide and established itself as a defining work about the digital age’s impact on human relationships.
Watch the trailer for The Social Network
The Social Network: Facebook files
The sequel will centre on ‘The Facebook Files,’ a series of explosive investigative reports published by The Wall Street Journal in October 2021.
These reports, based on internal Facebook documents leaked by whistleblower Frances Haugen, revealed that the company was aware of its platform’s harmful effects on users, particularly teenagers and young people.
The investigation exposed how Facebook’s algorithms amplified divisive content, contributed to mental health issues among youth, and failed to adequately address misinformation and hate speech across its platforms.
Who will be in The Social Network Part II?
Mikey Madison, who won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her transformative performance in Sean Baker’s Anora, would portray Frances Haugen, the former Facebook data engineer who became one of the most significant corporate whistleblowers in recent history.
Madison’s career trajectory is certainly on the up-and-up, starting from supporting roles in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Scream to leading lady with her acclaimed performance as a Brooklyn escort in Anora – and now a potential lead in a Sorkin flick.
Jeremy Allen White, the two-time Emmy winner for his role as Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto in FX’s critically acclaimed series The Bear, is being considered to play the journalist who broke the Facebook Files story.
White’s intense, method-acting approach and ability to convey internal struggle have surely influenced the exec’s consideration for his role Jeff Horowitz, the man who helped expose one of the biggest corporate scandals of the digital age.
‘Insiders stress no formal offers have been given to either actor but it’s clear these are his picks to star in the film once those hurdles are overcome,’ reads the Deadline article.
It’s also not confirmed if the character of Mark Zuckerberg will return.
January 6 and The Social Network‘s role in society
The Capitol attack on January 6, 2021, marked a turning point in public perception of social media’s role in political discourse. Facebook faced intense scrutiny for its role in spreading election misinformation and facilitating the organisation of the violent insurrection.
Internal documents revealed through the Facebook Files showed that the company’s own researchers had warned about the platform’s potential to incite violence and spread dangerous conspiracy theories, yet leadership failed to implement adequate safeguards.
While no formal offers have been extended to Madison or White, Sony Pictures is apparently moving forward with the project as a high priority.
Sony did not provide comment to Deadline.
