What’s Aaron Sorkin‘s next project? THR reports it may be a sequel to “The Social Network.” The legendary screenwriter turned actor talked about a script he’s toying with on a new live edition of “The Town” podcast this week. And Sorkin plans to tackle Facebook’s dark legacy since he wrote the script for David Fincher‘s 2010 smash hit, namely the social media company’s influence on American politics.
“Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” Sorkin told “The Town” hosts Matthew Belloni and Peter Hamby, looking at his publicist for the okay to talk about the screenplay. Then he followed up with quite the hook: “I blame Facebook for January 6.” When pressed by the hosts about how he’ll connect Mark Zuckerberg‘s Meta to a mob storming the U.S. Capitol building, Sorkin respond curtly, “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.” Well, then. All of this sounds like unwieldy material for Sorkin to tackle in two-hour/120-page script, but if anyone could pull it off, it’s Aaron Sorkin.
And when asked if he wants his “The Social Network” sequel to be a movie, Sorkin said, “I’m trying. 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.'” But Sorkin also wants to deal with other elements of Facebook’s questionable ethics, too. “There’s supposed to be a constant tension at Facebook between growth and integrity,” Sorkin continued. “There isn’t. There’s just growth. 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 switching a one to a zero.”
It’s worth noting that Sorkin has worked on a script about January 6 before, but that project didn’t move past initial stages. As for this new “The Social Network” sequel, it’s unclear if Sorkin will use elements from that previous project in his new script. It’s all early stages at this point, and there isn’t even a studio attached to the project yet, not even Sony Pictures, who produced Fincher’s 2010 film.
Sorkin has spoken about writing “The Social Network” follow up before, stressing his desire for Fincher to return to direct. “People have been talking to me about [a sequel] because of what we’ve discovered is the dark side of Facebook,” Sorkin told the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast back in 2020. Do I want to write that movie? Yeah I do. I will only write it if [Fincher] directs it. If Billy Wilder came back from the grave and said he wanted to direct it, I’d say I’d only do it with David.” Sorkin followed up that notion in 2021 to THR, saying, ““I think 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.”
All that sounds like Sorkin is very high on making this sequel happen. But how does David Fincher feel about it? Last year, the director clarified last year that he and Sorkin have discussed a potential sequel, but he’s not as eager to do it. “Aaron and I have talked about it, but, um … that’s a can of worms,” Fincher said. But then Fincher doesn’t plan out his career too far in advance. “I never know where I’m headed,” he added, “and I like being lost.” But if Fincher and Sorkin indeed team up for a “The Social Network” sequel, it may need to be a Netflix joint, as Fincher just extended his deal with the streamer.