A sequel to "The Social Network," the 2010 film chronicling the founding of Facebook, is now in development.
According to Deadline, Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin will write the script and direct the follow-up, which will center on the more recent controversies surrounding Facebook.
The project is believed to draw heavily from The Wall Street Journal's "The Facebook Files," a series of reports based on leaked internal documents. These files suggested the social media giant was acutely aware of the societal damage its algorithms were amplifying.
Sorkin has previously stated his belief that Facebook played a role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. However, sources for Deadline clarify that the sequel will not be solely focused on that event. Instead, it will also examine the impact of social media on younger users and communities outside the United States.
Although Sorkin seems to have a clear narrative direction, the project is still in its early stages, with no casting announcements made. Will Jesse Eisenberg reprise his role as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg? Sorkin has contemplated a sequel for some time, and Eisenberg has previously expressed his enthusiasm for returning.
"Absolutely," Eisenberg told IndieWire in 2019 when asked about potentially returning for a sequel. "It's very rare to get a great role in a major film. This was a chance to play a complex character, the kind you'd usually find in a stage play or an indie film, but on a massive scale. That was an incredibly fortunate opportunity for me."
