Jeremy Strong may star in the lead role of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network Part II, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will serve as the sequel to Sony Pictures’ acclaimed 2010 biopic, The Social Network.
Mikey Madison may also appear in The Social Network Part II. If she signs onto the movie, the project will mark her first major studio role since she won this year’s Best Actress Oscar for her breakout performance in Anora.
Jeremy Allen White is a also leading contender for a role in the follow-up. His potential involvement in the feature comes as he’s currently nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Bear. He previously won in the same category for the FX show the previous two years.
The Social Network Part II is still in the development process. Therefore, Sony has not yet made any official offers to the performers yet.
However, Sony is making the sequel a top priority. Aaron Sorkin, who will direct the upcoming drama, is meeting with actors, including Strong, Madison and White, for casting consideration. The filmmaker is packaging a cast and budget, which he will then share with the studio for final approval.
Sorkin, who won an Academy Award for scribing the original movie, also wrote the script for the anticipated follow-up. A series of articles Jeff Horwitz wrote for The Wall Street Journal known as The Facebook Files served as the inspiration for the screenplay for the new film.
The Golden Globe-winning original biopic focused on the making of Facebook, now known as Meta. The upcoming project will not a straight sequel, but instead a follow-up, to the original feature.
The Social Network‘s successor will focus on how the titular company’s reporting influenced the negative effects its social media was having on teens and children. The upcoming sequel will also highlight how Meta knew the misinformation featured on its platforms was causing violence, including the coup attempt of January 6, 2021.
Sorkin has noted on several occasions that he’s interest in making a follow-up since the original film’s release. However, he stated that he couldn’t find the right angle, until now.
The events of January 6 inspired the writer to pen the sequel. He said in an interview last year that he believed Facebook played a part in the attack. However, the biopic will not only focus on the 2020 election, but also Facebook’s effect on children, as well as overall violence, around the world.
Madison will play Frances Haugen in the series’ second installment if she signs onto the project. The data engineer-turned-whistleblower who shared information with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wall Street Journal. White may play a former tech reporter at the business newspaper who led the revelation of the Facebook files.
The upcoming movie will reportedly be told in the style of The Insider, the 1999 drama that was co-written and directed by Michael Mann. The film tells the story of whistleblower that exposed the tobacco industry through an interview with 60 Minutes.
The sequel is also being comparisons to Spotlight. The 2015 biographical drama followed reporters from the Boston Globe who investigated child sex abuse by the city’s Roman Catholic clergy. Tom McCarthy co-penned and helmed the movie, which won the Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay Oscars in 2016.
Sorkin will also serve as a producer on The Social Network Part II. Todd Black, Peter Rice and Stuart Besser will also produce the drama.
David Fincher helmed the original Social Network, for which he won the BAFTA and Golden Globe Awards for Best Director. Jesse Eisenberg portrayed Zuckerberg in the drama, and received Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for his performance. He has passed, at least at this time, on reprising the role of Zuckerberg.
The Social Network is based on Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book, The Accidental Millionaires. The screen adaptation earned $226 million at the global box office. It was later nominated for eight Oscars.
Strong is a Tony and Emmy award-winning actor. He’s best known for his work on HBO’s hit black-comedy-drama series, Succession. He played the eldest son of Logan Roy, the patriarch of the Murdoch-like family played by Brian Cox, on the show.
The actor also previously worked with Sorkin on Netflix’s 2020 historical legal drama, The Trial of the Chicago 7. He played anti-war leader Jerry Rubin in the film.
Strong also garnered attention last year for portraying President Donald Trump’s mentor, Roy Cohn, in The Apprentice. The actor received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
While Strong is mainly being considered to play Zuckerberg in The Social Network Part II, it’s also possible that he could instead portray a Wall Street Journal editor.
Sony has not yet announced a release date for The Social Network Part II.
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