The Social Network is largely considered to be one of the best movies of the 21st century. David Fincher’s Oscar-winning box office hit was so successful that Aaron Sorkin began developing a sequel. But, it looks like The Social Network Part II won’t be the follow-up to The Social Network that fans were expecting.
After presenting the dramatic birth of Facebook, as well as the bitter legal battles that ensued between its creators, through a piercing lens and expert craftsmanship, The Social Network Part II will skip ahead to explore the negative impact the social media platform has had on society. That premise sounds appealing, as did the idea of the sequel reuniting the core team behind the 2010 film.
One of the crucial elements to The Social Network‘s success was the collection of talent behind and in front of the camera. Sorkin laid the groundwork with the screenplay, Fincher took it a step further with his direction, and stars like Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield elevated it with their performances.
While the sequel has a fascinating premise, The Social Network Part II‘s development is worrisome. It doesn’t even feel like a sequel to the acclaimed first film at this stage.
The Social Network 2 Is Missing Several Key Individuals
The Social Network Part II will be missing a huge creative force behind the scenes, as Oscar-nominated director David Fincher won’t return to helm the sequel’s production. The film will instead be directed by the original’s acclaimed screenwriter, Aaron Sorkin, who will also pen the second film’s script.
What’s even more shocking is that Jesse Eisenberg won’t play Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook co-founder/CEO, with Jeremy Strong taking over the lead role instead. Despite Strong’s prestige as an actor, along with his greater resemblance to Zuckerberg than Eisenberg, the change is disappointing for this sequel.
Eisenberg played the main character in The Social Network, and his performance as Zuckerberg is one of the most beloved and recognizable aspects of the original film. If Eisenberg is recast as Zuckberg in the sequel, the new film will have little to no connection to the original except for its title.
Aaron Sorkin is the only main creative or star from The Social Network who is also involved in The Social Network Part II
It is also unlikely that Andrew Garfield will return to play Eduardo Saverin, given that the latter is no longer involved in Facebook outside of being a shareholder.
Having Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison play new leads makes sense, but not getting the previous film’s original star back and recasting the role creates a divide between these two films. Going forward without Fincher was already risky. Doing so without Eisenberg really makes this “sequel” feel like a different, standalone film.
The Social Network Sequel Is Using IP To Tell A Different Story
Though Facebook is expected to play a huge part in the sequel’s story, The Social Network Part II will still be very different from the first film. Sorkin’s script for the sequel will be based on Jeff Horowitz’s series of investigative articles for The Wall Street Journal, known as The Facebook Files.
This source material explored the social media company’s inner workings and Facebook’s harmful impact on the world. That makes it a perfect sequel story to The Social Network, but it appears that Sorkin is taking the story in another direction too.
In 2024, Sorkin was reportedly writing a script based around the U.S. Capitol Attack on January 6th. It’s since been reported that The Social Network 2 isn’t a January 6th movie per se, but the event and Donald Trump will be part of the larger narrative to show Facebook’s influence on the world.
This is an intriguing story that helps The Social Network franchise catch up to modern times. But, it makes the film less of a direct sequel to Fincher’s 2010 film. Sorkin might be selling this as a Social Network sequel, but it more so feels like he’s just slapping the title onto a story that’s only loosely connected to the original to help get it made.
Madison and White’s casting in The Social Network Part II suggests that their two new characters will be the main focus of the sequel. Thus, it is likely that the story will be told outside of Zuckerberg and Facebook’s perspectives, which would limit the latter’s presence in the sequel.
If this sequel film is marketed as Part II of The Social Network, it could increase the public’s attention toward it. On the other hand, this new story could also confuse audiences who saw the first film and were expecting a traditional sequel with a heavy focus on Zuckerberg.
While The Social Network Part II has the makings for a compelling film, the filmmakers may be flying too close to the sun with their approach to the film’s cast, story, and marketing. If the sequel doesn’t have the original’s lead actor reprising his character in the main role as Facebook’s controversial CEO, there could be a rejection of The Social Network Part II even before it arrives.
