Boston native Jeremy Strong will play Harvard grad Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin's upcoming movie "The Social Reckoning," the long-gestating sequel to the 2010 film "The Social Network."
By Kevin Slane
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Boston native Jeremy Strong is attempting to fill Jesse Eisenberg’s shoes as Facebook founder (and Harvard grad) Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Reckoning,” Aaron Sorkin’s long-gestating sequel to the 2010 film “The Social Network.”
In the first trailer for the movie, which debuted on Wednesday, Strong is paired with Canton native Bill Burr, who plays an advisor tasked with making Zuckerberg appear more likable ahead of upcoming congressional testimony.
“I’m happy to lend a hand, but I think you’re doomed,” Burr’s character says.
What inspired ‘The Social Reckoning’?
“The Social Reckoning” tells the story of the release of internal company documents known as “The Facebook Files” in 2021 by former employee Frances Haugen, played by Oscar winner Mikey Madison (“Anora”).
In the trailer, Madison sits down with Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”) to discuss how to properly reveal Facebook’s misdeeds without destroying her life.
“I don’t want to be made an example of by a guy with unlimited resources,” Madison says.
Among the most notable revelations from the leak, largely based on findings from self-commissioned Facebook studies, were that the company was aware of the negative impacts Instagram had on the mental health of teenagers; that Facebook did little to remove content promoting or showcasing politically or racially motivated violence in developing countries; that Facebook actively studied ways to tap into a preteen audience despite laws against social media use in the U.S. before age 13; that Facebook had a list of “VIP” users, including President Donald Trump, who were not subject to the site’s standard content moderation tools; and that for years Facebook’s algorithms disproportionately boosted false, inflammatory, and hate-filled content.
As Burr’s character succinctly sums it up while grilling Zuckerberg in the trailer: “The firehose of bad information you are injecting into the air supply is becoming jet-powered.”
Strong, channeling the voice and look of Zuckerberg, finally breaks under the interrogation.
“Enough!” he says. “People around here understand that when I say no, that’s the end of the debate. I’m not two years out of a dorm room anymore.”
History of ‘The Social Network’ sequel
Sorkin first publicly mentioned the possibility of a “Social Network” sequel in January 2019, more than two years before the release of the Facebook Files. “The Social Network” was nominated for eight Oscars, winning two, and is widely considered one of the best movies of the 21st century.
At various points in the development of “The Social Reckoning,” there were plans for Eisenberg to reprise his role as Zuckerberg and for “Social Network” filmmaker David Fincher (“Gone Girl”) to return to the director’s chair.
Instead, Eisenberg passed on the role, suggesting in interviews he had outgrown playing Zuckerberg, and Fincher expressed hesitation about the project, calling it “a can of worms.”
Along with Strong, Madison, White, and Burr, “The Social Reckoning” will feature Oscar nominee Wunmi Mosaku (“Sinners”), Billy Magnussen (“Road House”), and Emmy nominee Betty Gilpin (“Glow”).
“The Social Reckoning” will be released in theaters Oct. 9.
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