Aaron Sorkin’s long-anticipated The Social Network 2 may finally be gaining traction, and it looks like he already has his top choices in mind to lead the cast. According to insiders, Oscar winner Mikey Madison and two-time Emmy winner Jeremy Allen White are in early talks to star in the project, which Sorkin will both write and direct.
While no official offers have been made yet, sources say Sorkin has met with both actors and is keen on casting them once other production details are finalised. Sony Pictures, the studio behind the film, has declined to comment.
Unlike the original 2010 film, which chronicled the rise of Facebook and its enigmatic founder, Mark Zuckerberg, the upcoming movie will centre on The Facebook Files, a bombshell investigative series by Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, published in 2021. The exposé revealed Facebook’s internal knowledge of the platform’s role in spreading misinformation, enabling political violence, and negatively affecting young users.
The new film, which Sorkin has described as a continuation rather than a direct sequel, is being produced by Todd Black, Peter Rice, Stuart Besser, and Sorkin himself. Sources say Jeremy Allen White is being considered for the role of Jeff Horwitz, while Madison may play the whistleblower at the heart of the story.
Jesse Eisenberg, who played Mark Zuckerberg in the first film, earned an Oscar nomination for his performance. Whether he will reprise his role remains unclear, as details around Zuckerberg’s involvement in the new story are still under wraps.
Madison, fresh off her Oscar win for Anora, is quickly becoming one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors. She’ll next be seen in Reptilia alongside Kirsten Dunst and is reportedly attached to A24’s upcoming The Masque of Death. White, best known for his lead role in FX’s The Bear, will star this fall as Bruce Springsteen in the highly anticipated biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere. He also recently joined The Mandalorian and Grogu, voicing Rotta the Hutt.
Released in 2010 and directed by David Fincher, The Social Network grossed over $226 million worldwide and won three Academy Awards—including Best Adapted Screenplay for Sorkin.