Things have been picking up in the development ofThe Social Network II, the sequel to 2010’s Facebook biopicThe Social Network. As new details emerge, it seems the upcoming biopic will stray away from its original Golden Globe-winning formula in more ways than one. Not only has the film swapped directors, trading in David Fincher forSocial Networkscreenwriter Aaron Sorkin, butThe Social Network IIwill reportedly feature new lead characters and will shift the focus from Facebook to a more political POV.
According to Deadline, director Sorkin describesThe Social Network IIas a “follow-up,” claiming his vision is to make this more of a “part two” than a sequel. WithThe Social Networkdepicting the creation of Facebook, we can expect its successor to detail the impact it’s had on society. This impact includes a history of crisis, scandal, and politics, broadening the scope to include new characters outside of the company’s founders: one of whom has been confirmed to be a former Facebook employee, Frances Haugen.
Frances Haugen is the infamous whistleblower who leaked over 20,000 confidential documents to lawmakers and media outlets, shedding light on data that Facebook attempted to conceal from the public. These documents exposed the company’s best-kept secrets, outlining Facebook’s spread of misinformation, harmful impact on mental health, and its reluctance to correct these issues. According to research,The Social Network IIwill zero in on this moment in Facebook’s history, drawing inspiration fromWSJ’sThe Facebook Files(a series of essays partially inspired by the data leak).
It's safe to assume thatThe Social Network IIwill be more of an exposé, adopting a political angle that highlights the company's controversial history and scrutiny in the public eye. In addition to depicting one of the biggest scandals in Facebook’s history, Deadline confirms that Sorkin also plans to include the 2020 election and the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol, both of which he believes were influenced by the social media site. The director is also reportedly interested in showing Facebook’s effects on “teens, preteens, violence, and countries outside the US.” It will be interesting to see what other scandals arise inThe Social Network II(likeZuckerberg’s infamous Senate hearing,for instance) and how this new shift will affect the company's reputation as a whole.
Even with Facebook being the heart of the story ofThe Social Network II, Jesse Eisenberg has not yet officially signed on to the project. Although the follow-up will be shifting its focus from the founders to include new characters, it's hard to believe that a movie based on Facebook wouldn’t feature founder Mark Zuckerberg in some capacity. The role Zuckerberg will play inTheSocial Network IIhas yet to be determined, but the drama, betrayal, and backlash? All but guaranteed.
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