Aaron Sorkin is officially set to return to the world of Facebook with The Social Network Part II, and this time, he’s jumping into the director’s chair.
According to Deadline, Sorkin has signed on to write and direct the new film for Sony Pictures. But don’t call it a straight-up sequel. While it carries the “Part II” title, sources say it’s more of a thematic follow-up than a direct continuation of the original, a new chapter that zeroes in on the darker ripple effects of the social media empire.
The new film will draw heavily from The Facebook Files, a bombshell series of investigative reports published by The Wall Street Journal in 2021. The articles shed light on Facebook’s internal research and how the company allegedly knew its platform was causing harm to teens, to democracy, and to public discourse, and continued pushing forward anyway.
Sorkin’s been circling the idea of a second Social Network film for years. But it wasn’t until after January 6, 2021, that he felt the story come together.
In an interview last year, he said he believed Facebook played a role in the events of that day, a sentiment that helped shape this new project. Still, sources are clear: this won’t be a “January 6” movie. The film will take a broader view, focusing on the platform’s influence on global events, youth mental health, and social unrest.
The project is being developed by Sorkin, Todd Black, Peter Rice, and Stuart Besser. While the original film was directed by David Fincher, Sorkin has built up a solid directing resume since then with Molly’s Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Being the Ricardos. Now, he’s stepping up to tell this next chapter himself.
Casting has yet to begin, but sources say Sorkin is diving into the ensemble search next, and after what the original did for Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield, you can bet this one’s going to be on every rising actor’s radar.
Speaking of Eisenberg, it’s still unclear how (or if) he’ll return as Mark Zuckerberg. “It’s hard to imagine another movie about Facebook not having Zuckerberg appear in some form,” the report notes. And while no word yet on whether Sorkin’s reached out to him, his inclusion feels likely.
There’s no production start date just yet, but this one’s definitely moving. And if Sorkin sticks the landing again, we could be in for another sharp, unsettling, and deeply relevant portrait of the digital age.
Source: Deadline
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