Oscar-Winning Writer Aaron Sorkin Writing a Potential ‘Social Network’ Sequel

Aaron Sorkin has teased the development of a new movie that could potentially serve as a sequel to The Social Network. Although not explicitly titled “The Social Network 2,” this forthcoming script will delve into similar subject matter, shedding light on the darker aspects of Facebook, which Sorkin holds responsible for the January 6 Capitol Attack, saying,  “I blame Facebook for January 6.” While speaking on podcast The Town via THR.

Sorkin wrote the 2010 hit, which charts the founding and rise of Facebook, focusing on Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his journey from Harvard student to the CEO of one of the world’s most influential companies. In addition the film follows Zuckerberg’s contentious relationship with his business partner Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), the film navigates through multiple lawsuits and personal conflicts.

The Oscar winner broke the news when asked about how Facebook and social media have influenced democracy since his 2010 hit. Sorkin blames Facebook’s algorithm tuning and the company’s promotion of  “the most divisive material possible,” and that they are prioritizing growth over integrity. Read Sorkin’s full quote below:

“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this. I blame Facebook for January 6. [Why do I blame Facebook?] You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket. I’m trying [to make this idea into a movie.] Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to — what they call inside the hallways of Facebook — ‘the infinite scroll’ … There’s supposed to be a constant tension at Facebook between growth and integrity. There isn’t. There’s just growth. If Mark Zuckerberg woke up tomorrow morning and realized there is nothing you can buy for $120 billion that you can’t buy for $119 billion dollars, “So how about if I make a little bit less money? I will tune up integrity and tune down growth.” Yes, you can do that by switching a one to a zero.”

Director David Fincher hinted as recently as 2023 that he would be open to revisiting the project. This is welcome news for Sorkin, who has stated that he would only consider making a sequel if Fincher is involved as the director.

Even if the upcoming movie isn’t a full-fledged sequel to The Social Network, the possibility of it capturing the essence and tone of the original feature is an incredibly exciting prospect.

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