ENTERTAINMENTAaron Sorkin Sounds Alarm Over What Facebook Has Become in New Movie 'The Social Reckoning'
'The Social Reckoning' is not a sequel to the 2010 Sorkin hit.
Sept. 9 2026, Published 7:58 a.m. ET
More than 15 years after The Social Network chronicled the tumultuous early days of Facebook, Aaron Sorkin is returning to the world of the social media giant.
This time, the filmmaker is turning his attention to a very different era in Facebook's history with The Social Reckoning, a follow-up that examines the company and its impact years after the events depicted in the 2010 Oscar-winning film.
Facebook Is 'Something Different Now'
Facebook is a different company now, which is what Sorkin's film will explore.
Sorkin reflected on his 2010 hit, which focused as much on Facebook's rise as it did on its enigmatic founder, Mark Zuckerberg.
"Back then, Facebook was a way to keep in touch with people you went to high school with. It’s something much different now," Sorkin said in an interview with the Associated Press.
His new film will explore "what it’s become and, in particular, Facebook’s role in the rise of extremism and divisiveness," Sorkin explained.
The Actual Monetary Reckoning at Facebook
Facebook was ordered to pay $18 billion for endangering children.
The film's trailer debuted earlier this year ahead of its October 9 release, arriving the same day Meta, Facebook's parent company, agreed to pay $18 billion in penalties related to allegations that its platforms endangered children.
"You should be alarmed when you see the movie. I think people will be," Sorkin said.
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A Fall Full of Moguls
Many movies about tech CEOs are in the works.
Zuckerberg isn't the only tech billionaire getting the Hollywood treatment this fall. A nearly four-hour documentary about Elon Musk, titled Musk, is set to hit theaters on October 16. Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney directed the film.
Also headed to the big screen is Artificial, directed by Luca Guadagnino. The film stars Andrew Garfield as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and chronicles the tumultuous five-day period in 2023 when Altman was abruptly fired from the company, only to be reinstated days later.
Don't Call It a Sequel
Jesse Eisenberg didn't want to play Mark Zuckerberg again.
Sorkin has stressed that The Social Reckoning is not a sequel to The Social Network.
His feelings about Facebook are well known. Sorkin previously penned an op-ed for The New York Times in which he accused the platform of allowing "crazy lies pumped into the water supply that corrupt the most important decisions we make together."
He has also blamed Facebook for playing a role in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, arguing that the platform helped fuel the spread of misinformation and extremism.
Further distinguishing The Social Reckoning from its predecessor, Jesse Eisenberg will not reprise his role as Facebook founder Zuckerberg. Instead, Zuckerberg will be portrayed by Jeremy Strong.
According to Sorkin, he approached Eisenberg about returning to the role, but the actor declined.
Sorkin said Eisenberg "simply did not want to play [Zuckerberg] ever again."
