Highlights
- Jeremy Strong is reportedly the top choice to play Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network Part II
- The film is being written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, based on The Facebook Files investigation
- Jeremy Allen White may portray journalist Jeff Horwitz; Mikey Madison considered for Frances Haugen
- Strong and White recently co-starred in Springsteen biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere
- Jesse Eisenberg previously portrayed Zuckerberg in 2010’s The Social Network, earning an Oscar nod
Jeremy Strong tipped to take over as Zuckerberg in Sorkin sequel
Jeremy Strong is reportedly in talks to take over the role of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the upcoming sequel to The Social Network. The film, titled The Social Network Part II, is being developed by Sony Pictures and will be written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, who penned the original 2010 film.
Strong, best known for his Emmy-winning role as Kendall Roy in HBO’s Succession, has been named by Deadline as the frontrunner to portray Zuckerberg, now CEO of Meta. This would mark a potential casting shift from Jesse Eisenberg of The Social Network, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of the tech mogul in the original David Fincher-directed film.
Reunion for the Jeremys following Springsteen biopic
The sequel may reunite Strong with Jeremy Allen White, with whom he recently worked on the upcoming Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me from Nowhere. Directed by Scott Cooper, the film chronicles the making of Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska, and stars White as Springsteen and Strong as his longtime manager Jon Landau.
Set for release this October, Deliver Me from Nowhere was filmed in New Jersey and is based on Warren Zanes’ 2023 book of the same name.
A new narrative based on Facebook whistleblower revelations
The Social Network Part II will reportedly focus on revelations from The Facebook Files, a series of investigative reports by former Wall Street Journal journalist Jeff Horwitz. The reports, published in 2021, exposed internal concerns at Facebook around user safety, misinformation and profit motives.
White is said to be in discussions to portray Horwitz, while Oscar-winner Mikey Madison (Anora) is being considered for the role of whistleblower Frances Haugen. Haugen, a former data engineer at Facebook, leaked internal documents to the press and US regulators, alleging that the company prioritised profits over public safety.
Legacy of The Social Network
The original 2010 film The Social Network starred Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, in a critically acclaimed performance that earned him his first Oscar nomination. The film, adapted by Sorkin from Ben Mezrich’s book The Accidental Billionaires, was nominated for Best Picture and won three Academy Awards: Best Adapted Screenplay (Sorkin), Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Should Strong take on the role of Zuckerberg, it would be a significant casting choice, bridging the legacy of Eisenberg of The Social Network with a fresh perspective on Facebook’s modern controversies.
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