Before ‘The Social Reckoning’ Arrives, Here Is What ‘The Social Network’ Left Unfinished
Aaron Sorkin is heading back to Facebook, and this time he is directing as well as writing. His new drama ‘The Social Reckoning’ is scheduled for release on 9 October, according to Sony Pictures. The project has already stirred up plenty of debate, and the first trailer only added fuel.
A quick ‘The Social Network‘ recap is the best way to walk into the theater prepared. The new film is a companion piece rather than a straight continuation, but it carries the weight of the original on its shoulders. Here is what you should remember, what has changed, and why people are talking.
Your ‘The Social Network’ Recap in Brief
‘The Social Network’ chronicled Harvard sophomore Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of Facebook. The film was loosely based on Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires. Jesse Eisenberg played Zuckerberg, alongside Rooney Mara, Andrew Garfield and Armie Hammer.
It was a serious hit. The movie earned $226 million at the global box office and received eight Academy Award nominations, including best picture. It won three, namely Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score.
A follow up was never a sure thing. In 2020, Sorkin said he would only return to that world if David Fincher came back to direct. Producer Scott Rudin had earlier pitched the idea of a sequel, and Eisenberg said in 2019 that he would be interested in starring.
How ‘The Social Reckoning’ Picks Up the Story
Sony describes the new film as a companion piece to ‘The Social Network’. It picks up 17 years after the first film ends, with an entirely new cast. That makes it more of a spiritual successor than a traditional sequel.
The behind the scenes changes are hard to ignore. David Fincher is out and Sorkin is in the director’s chair. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross are not returning either, with Alexandre Desplat writing the music instead.
There is at least one neat echo. The release date lands in the same month the first film hit theaters back in 2010. For a story about how a company’s image changed over time, that kind of symmetry feels very much on purpose.
The Facebook Whistleblower at the Heart of the Film
The new story centers on a very different figure. Frances Haugen, played by Mikey Madison, is a young Facebook engineer who enlists the help of Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, played by Jeremy Allen White. Together they set out to expose the company’s most guarded secrets.
The real events give the film its weight. Horwitz wrote a series of articles in October 2021 known as The Facebook Files, which exposed the inner workings and harms caused by Facebook. Haugen also testified before Congress in 2021 about alleged wrongdoing by the company.
The ensemble is stacked. Bill Burr joins Madison, White and Jeremy Strong in the cast. Madison arrives fresh off her work in ‘Anora’, which adds even more awards season curiosity.
Jeremy Strong as Zuckerberg and the Trailer Debate
Jeremy Strong plays Facebook creator and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In the teaser, his Zuckerberg declares that he is no longer the guy from the dorm rooms. That one line says a lot about how far the character has traveled since the first film.
Reactions have been all over the map. Plenty of users on X, TikTok and Reddit praised the transformation as uncanny and predicted awards buzz, while others questioned whether the film is necessary. Critics have noticed the structure too.
ComingSoon argued the trailer makes the film look like two movies in one, pairing the whistleblower story with Zuckerberg preparing to answer to the investigation in court.
The skeptics have been loud. TechRadar noted that some viewers compared the trailer to an SNL sketch, and The SS Ben Hecht called it one of the worst received trailers in recent memory while admitting a trailer is not the movie. With the premiere days away, we want to hear in the comments whether Strong can step out of Eisenberg’s shadow, or whether ‘The Social Reckoning’ will miss Fincher too much to land.
