Looks Like The Social Network 2 Is Finally Happening, And There’s One Big Change That Has Me Both Excited And Concerned

Some major motion pictures, no matter how beloved, have the tendency to fade into the background. That’s not the case with The Social Network, as the historical drama based on Facebook’s origin story is just as relevant on the 2025 movie schedule as it was in 2010.

For years, writer Aaron Sorkin’s hopes for a Social Network 2 have stood as one of the greatest “What if?” scenarios in the movie business. And now that wish sounds like it’s about to be granted, but with a huge change in the starting lineup.

Almost 15 Years Later, The Social Network 2 Is Finally Happening

For the moment, this long-awaited project is being called The Social Network Part II, per reporting out of Deadline. Breaking along with that news were some details on the source material that The West Wing creator: a Wall Street Journal series of articles published in October 2021 called The Facebook files, which "exposed the inner workings of — and multiple harms caused by — the world’s largest social network."

However, this news comes with a shocking substitution - as previously promised. When it comes to The Social Network Part II, the key party missing is director David Fincher. Which is both exciting, but also concerning when it comes to the development of this sequel to a perennial Fincher favorite.

The deal for The Social Network’s sequel has Aaron Sorkin doubling as writer and director. With this being his first film since 2021's Being the Ricardos, the hire is one of necessity thanks to another hotly-anticipated sequel.

David Fincher's Absence From The Social Network Part II Is Concerning, But Expected

As noted in Sorkin’s 2021 ReelBlend interview, his first choice for the directing post was, naturally, David Fincher. However this project looks like it’s on greased rails at this point, as it seems that Fincher’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood sequel, part of his current relationship with Netflix, would prevent him from doing so.

Which, of course, leads to the concerns over The Social Network Part II's impending production. That’s not to say that Aaron Sorkin can’t direct his own material, as he’s tackled historical dramas of varying scope through projects like Molly’s Game and The Trial of the Chicago 7. Rather, this is a note that’s meant to highlight how the trademark sheen of David Fincher’s style is going to be sorely missed, as it’s part of what made the first movie so brilliant.

No matter what director you’re putting in the chair, facing off against the mythic profile of The Social Network is a daunting task. Based on my own personal bias, I think the director that’s done the best job of succeeding in that respect is Danny Boyle - who landed Sorkin’s undeserved flop Steve Jobs after David Fincher departed the project.

Having said that, I’ll be curious to see what Aaron Sorkin has to say in The Social Network Part II. The intervening years between these films has given him a wealth of world events to examine through another picture. Of course, now the big question in the room is, will Jesse Eisenberg be reprising his role as Mark Zuckerberg? There’s plenty of time to figure that out, because at the moment, this picture doesn’t have a production schedule or release date in mind.