Aaron Sorkin is returning to the world of Facebook with a follow-up film. But this time, the story isn’t about the first social network and the messy lawsuits that followed. Sony Pictures announced the official title on Friday—The Social Reckoning, scheduled to arrive in theaters on Oct. 9, 2026.
The film centers on Frances Haugen, the Facebook employee who leaked internal documents in 2021, and Jeff Horwitz, the Wall Street Journal reporter whose series, The Facebook Files, exposed the company’s knowledge of its harmful effects on users and its role in misinformation distribution.
Sorkin has called it a companion piece to the original rather than a direct sequel, which makes sense given how unrecognizable Facebook has become since 2010.
The casting choices are fascinating. Jeremy Strong will play Zuckerberg, taking over from Jesse Eisenberg’s younger portrayal, while Mikey Madison portrays Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White plays Horwitz. Bill Burr has also been cast in an unspecified role.
Eisenberg hasn’t released any official statement on why he isn’t in the sequel, but it seems he’s just not interested in being tied to Meta and its founder anymore.
“I haven’t been following [Zuckerberg’s] life trajectory, partly because I don’t want to think of myself as associated with somebody like that. It’s not like I played a great golfer or something, and now people think I’m a great golfer,” Eisenberg told the BBC (via CNN).
Strong, fresh off an Oscar nomination for playing Roy Cohn in The Apprentice, will likely bring his trademark off-the-wall intensity to the role. Madison obviously has an Oscar already on her mantle.
What makes The Social Reckoning unique is that it’s a sequel and a standalone non-fiction adaptation about events long after the original film. The film will need to balance continuity with the first movie while also working as a self-contained drama about Haugen’s whistleblowing.
Coming fresh off Freakier Friday and other follow-ups, it seems we’re still living in the age of sequel supersaturation. But at least in the case of this true story, the team doesn’t have to cast about for a follow-up adventure. (If you’re ready to really dive into the potential plot, you can check out The Facebook Files here.)
Sorkin has said he’d been thinking about writing a follow-up for some time but was searching for the right angle, eventually finding inspiration following the Jan. 6 insurrection, which he believes Facebook played a part in (via Deadline).
That’s a heavy premise for a film, but it’s also the cultural moment we’re living in. The Facebook of 2010 (where people mostly just shared status updates and photos) feels like ancient times compared to today’s algorithmic AI stew.
Sorkin is writing and directing this time, producing alongside Todd Black, Peter Rice, and Stuart Besser, with production expected to begin next month.
The Social Network earned over $224 million globally and received eight Academy Award nominations, winning three, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin.
From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web