The Social Network, the Facebook biographical drama that Mark Zuckerberg said was “hurtful”, is getting a sequel. And if the first one made Zuck do a frowning face, then he ain’t seen nothing yet.
Reports say that the script for the new movie will focus on The Facebook Files, the devastating Wall Street Journal report that showed Facebook and Zuckerberg were well aware of the toxic effects the platform was having on young users and on political elections.
According to Deadline, Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is taking original director David Fincher’s place to direct The Social Network Part II for Sony Pictures. And where the first movie followed the origins of the world-straddling social media platform, the second intends to look at the damage it’s been accused of doing.
What will The Social Network Part II be about?
According to Esquire, the new movie will adapt the series of Wall Street Journal reports from 2021 called The Facebook Files. As the WSJ said at the time: “Facebook Inc. knows, in acute detail, that its platforms are riddled with flaws that cause harm, often in ways only the company fully understands.”
The Facebook Files made – and provided evidence for – multiple allegations, including that Facebook was well aware of how toxic Instagram was for many teen girls; that Facebook has a “secret elite” list of people for whom Facebook’s rules don’t apply; that Facebook knew its revised algorithm was fueling rage; and that Facebook didn’t do enough to stop anti-vax propaganda during Covid-19. Most damningly of all, The Facebook Files reported that all of these things were well known to senior executives, including Mark Zuckerberg.
It’s clear which side Sorkin is taking. “I blame Facebook for January 6,” he said last year. “Facebook has been, among other things, tuning its algorithm to promote the most divisive material possible. Because that is what will increase engagement … There’s supposed to be a constant tension at Facebook between growth and integrity. There isn’t. It’s just growth.”
According to Deadline, the new movie won’t be about the storming of the Capitol. But it will focus on “Facebook’s effect on teens, preteens, violence and countries outside the US.”
The Social Network Part II is currently in development with filming and release schedules to be confirmed. The first movie is not currently available to stream on any of the best streaming services in the US at the moment but you can rent it from Prime Video and Apple TV. Or you can read the script (legally) for free. Alternatively, those in the UK can stream it on Prime Video, while Australians can catch it on Binge.
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