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Aaron Sorkin writing a quasi-sequel to 'The Social Network' that follows the rise of misinformation-for-profit online that may have led to Jan 6.

DinkyDev

DinkyDev

The Movie Critic
Member
Feb 5, 2021
5,247

View: https://twitter.com/MattBelloni/status/1783826657339732264

Aaron Sorkin confirmed during a live recording of "The Town" podcast that he is currently working on some kind of sequel to "The Social Network," David Fincher's acclaimed 2010 drama about the creation of Facebook that won Sorkin the Oscar for best adapted screenplay.
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"Look, yeah, I'll be writing about this," Sorkin said about the social media company's recent years. "I blame Facebook for January 6."

Sorkin would not answer why he blamed Facebook for Trump supporters storming the U.S. Capitol, but he teased: "You're going to need to buy a movie ticket."
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"I'm trying [to write a movie about it]," Sorkin elaborated. "Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement. That is what will get you to — what they call inside the hallways of Facebook — 'the infinite scroll' … There's supposed to be a constant tension at Facebook between growth and integrity. There isn't. It's just growth."
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Sorkin added, "If Mark Zuckerberg woke up tomorrow morning and realized there is nothing you can buy for $120 billion that you can't buy for $119 billion dollars, 'So how about if I make a little bit less money? I will tune up integrity and tune down growth.' Yes, you can do that by honestly switching a one to a zero and a zero to a one."
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Whatever Sorkin is cooking up sounds more like a spiritual successor to "The Social Network" than a direct sequel. The 2010 film starred Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and was a critical darling (it earned eight Oscar nominations, including best picture) and a box office hit with $224 million at the worldwide box office. Quentin Tarantino even named it the best film of the 2010s.
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Sorkin first floated the idea of penning a sequel to "The Social Network" in 2021 when he said that "what has been going on with Facebook these last few years is a story very much worth telling, and there is a way to tell it as a follow up to 'The Social Network,' and that's as much as I know." But he had also once said on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast that the only way a sequel to the movie would move forward is if David Fincher agrees to direct it.
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variety.com

Aaron Sorkin Is Writing Some Kind of ‘Social Network’ Sequel Because ‘I Blame Facebook For January 6’ Riot at the U.S. Capitol

Aaron Sorkin is writing a sequel to "The Social Network" and blames Facebook for the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
variety.com variety.com
 
Joe

Joe

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Oct 25, 2017
8,661
I just re-watched The Social Network the other day. Honestly, I'm less interesting in a *quasi*-sequel than I am in a real sequel, but I'll check it out.
 
John Harker

John Harker

Knows things...
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Oct 27, 2017
4,390
Santa Destroy
Feels like the world needs something like this.
Does it have to be in the world of the social
Network movie? No, so I hope that doesn't kill it
 
MetalGearZed

MetalGearZed

Member
Oct 30, 2017
2,932
I always wanted something like this and yes Fincher please come back too, don't break my heart again like with Dragon Tattoon and Mindhunter. Also get Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross to compose. just get the whole gang back together.
 
wenis

wenis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
16,138
lol this is some msnbc ass concept right here. did they just start a production company or something?

stupid idea. people who already agree on whatever message this movie will carry will nod in agreement and people who dont agree will nod in disagreement. that's a sorkin script!
 
janusff

janusff

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
18,177
Austin, TX
don't love this concept tbh. also doubt fincher/sorkin would work together again considering how combative their working relationship was making social network
 
Ashes of Dreams

Ashes of Dreams

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May 22, 2020
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I'd watch it.
Though I almost feel like suggesting it as a follow-up to The Social Network is setting it up for failure. The story of modern day Facebook and social media's role in the political climate is absolutely fascinating but I'm not sure it has the "pop" to make a blockbuster movie like the Social Network did.
 
captmcblack

captmcblack

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Oct 25, 2017
5,089
If they made a movie like this, the most important thing it could do is make sure it's not limited to talking about Facebook. It's gotta sink into the viewers and critics heads that all algorithmic social media is like this and is being leveraged for profitable disinformation and rage bait.
 
wenis

wenis

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Oct 25, 2017
16,138
janusff said:
don't love this concept tbh. also doubt fincher/sorkin would work together again considering how combative their working relationship was making social network
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yep. it was a very strained production and given Fincher being wrapped up with Netflix for another couple years working on stuff he actively wants to do why would he want to look elsewhere?
 
Leclair

Leclair

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May 3, 2021
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Denmark
kambaybolongo said:
sorkin is absolutely washed at this point, no shot that project is decent
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His four film scripts since The Social Network:
Moneyball (RT 94%/86%)
Steve Jobs (RT 85%/73%)
Molly's Game (RT 81%/84%)
The Trail of the Chicago 7 (RT 89%/90%)

Is that what "being washed" looks like for a screen writer?

Edit:
Missed his latest
Being the Ricardos (RT 68%/75%)

That did mess up my point a little. But I still think it's pretty far from being washed
 
Reynolds Woodcock

Reynolds Woodcock

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Oct 27, 2017
1,007
Would love Fincher to direct it, but in all likelihood it will be Sorkin as he seems to be directing all his screenplays since he started film directing.
 
kambaybolongo

kambaybolongo

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Oct 25, 2017
14,091
Leclair said:
His four film scripts since The Social Network:
Moneyball (RT 94%/86%)
Steve Jobs (RT 85%/73%)
Molly's Game (RT 81%/84%)
The Trail of the Chicago 7 (RT 89%/90%)

Is that what "being washed" looks like for a screen writer?

Edit:
Missed his latest
Being the Ricardos (RT 68%/75%)

That did mess up my point a little. But I still think it's pretty far from being washed
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The newsroom
 
Stuntman

Stuntman

The Fallen
Oct 27, 2017
2,167
I don't expect a decent depiction of current Fascism from an hyper-lib-brained like Sorkin. Good luck tho.
 
TheMerv

TheMerv

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Jan 1, 2022
1,570
If there's one writer least suited to write about modern Facebook it's ironically Aaron Sorkin.
 

MasterChief

Member
Feb 6, 2024
86
Leclair said:
His four film scripts since The Social Network:
Moneyball (RT 94%/86%)
Steve Jobs (RT 85%/73%)
Molly's Game (RT 81%/84%)
The Trail of the Chicago 7 (RT 89%/90%)

Is that what "being washed" looks like for a screen writer?

That did mess up my point a little. But I still think it's pretty far from being washed
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Are any of these actually good though? Aside from Moneyball which is no doubt a classic.

I also enjoy that Steve Jobs movie more than I probably should.
 
Wonderful

Wonderful

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Dec 7, 2023
97
I'm all for a sequel to The Social Network but this feels like a weird subject to focus on. I don't know if watching a two hour movie of Zuck not realizing his platform was being abused then not caring because he's making money?

Seems a better use of Sorkin would be to focus on the people using Facebook , and not the company itself.
 
Fallout-NL

Fallout-NL

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Oct 30, 2017
6,781
captmcblack said:
If they made a movie like this, the most important thing it could do is make sure it's not limited to talking about Facebook. It's gotta sink into the viewers and critics heads that all algorithmic social media is like this and is being leveraged for profitable disinformation and rage bait.
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This

MasterChief said:
Are any of these actually good though? Aside from Moneyball which is no doubt a classic.

I also enjoy that Steve Jobs movie more than I probably should.
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You already answered yourself, but the Steve Jobs movie is superb if you ask me.
 
mbpm

mbpm

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Oct 25, 2017
23,813
I think it won't get everything right but I'm mildly curious as to what it will
 
Fat4all

Fat4all

Woke up, got a money tag, swears a lot
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Oct 25, 2017
93,794
here
will it cover the ethnic cleansings and rohingya genocide and whatnot
 
j7vikes

j7vikes

Definitely not shooting blanks
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Jan 5, 2020
5,783
ShadBy said:
Hope this hits before the election, could end up moving some needles honestly
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I don't see how honestly unless you're meaning something other than what I'm thinking. Anyone who voted for Trump in 2016 and 2020 is very likely to vote for him in 2024 and if they don't it won't be because they learned about misinformation from this film.

That said I recently rewatched the social network and had forgotten how excellent it is. Would support this.
 
Aiqops

Aiqops

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Aug 3, 2021
14,066
pswii60 said:
Ah another movie where everyone in it talks like Aaron Sorkin.
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the-office-pam-beesly.gif
 
Natsume Soseki

Natsume Soseki

Member
Oct 27, 2017
502
The Social Network was not a strained production and the working relationship between Fincher and Sorkin is fine. If Sony had not cheapened out, Fincher would likely have made Steve Jobs. Funny thing is the final movie ended up costing as much as Fincher originally asked for.
 
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