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The Social Network debuted in theaters back on October 1, 2010, and it made its young cast members, including Jesse Eisenberg, A-listers. The Facebook-themed drama also racked up awards and nominations, making it one of that year’s most high-profile films. And in the ensuing 15 years, speculation about a sequel has been a near-constant topic on the landscape of entertainment gossip. Given that its subject, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, is an ongoing topic of conversation, a sequel became inevitable, and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin was confirmed to be directing The Social Network Part II.
Read on for more about The Social Network 2 and whether Eisenberg could reprise the role of Zuckerberg.
What Is ‘The Social Network About?
“You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies,” the famous tagline goes. Adapted from Ben Mezrich‘s 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal, The Social Network centers around Zuckerberg in 2003, who was then a sophomore at Harvard. The visionary programming whiz rises in fame and notoriety as he creates Facebook, becomes a billionaire, and faces the ensuing lawsuits.
Who Starred in ‘The Social Network’?
Jesse starred as Zuckerberg, with Andrew Garfield as his business partner, Eduardo Saverin, Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, Armie Hammer as Cameron Winklevoss, and Rooney Mara as Erica Albright, among others. It was adapted for the screen by The West Wing visionary Aaron Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, who also directed Panic Room and Gone Girl.
The film received eight Academy Award nominations and took home trophies for best adapted screenplay, editing, and score. At the Golden Globes, it received wins for best picture, best director, best screenplay, and best original score. Eisenberg was nominated for best actor at both the 2011 Golden Globes and Academy Awards, though he failed to secure a victory, losing both to Colin Firth for a superb peformance in The King’s Speech.
Is a Sequel to ‘The Social Network’ Happening?
Yes, The Social Network Part II was officially confirmed to be in the works in June 2025.
In 2023, Fincher made a promising (albeit cryptic) statement about the possibility. “Aaron and I have talked about it, but, um … that’s a can of worms,” he told The Guardian in an October of 2023 interview.
And according to an April 2024 report, Sorkin is working on something of a quasi-sequel to the film. “Look, yeah, I’ll be writing about this,” he said during an episode of The Town podcast, discussing the January 6 insurrection of 2021, per The Hollywood Reporter. “I blame Facebook for January 6.” When asked why he blames Facebook, he responded, “You’re going to need to buy a movie ticket.”
Is There a Release Date for ‘The Social Network 2’?
No, there is no formal release date yet for The Social Network Part II. Production is still in its early stages.
What Has Jesse Eisenberg Said About a ‘Social Network’ Sequel?
Jesse is not confirmed to be in The Social Network sequel, but he’s expressed his enthusiasm about the possibility. During a November 2024 interview with E! News, the A Real Pain actor, producer, director and screenwriter said he’d be open to a part 2.
“I’m an actor here. We’ll do any job that anybody offers us,” Jesse told the outlet. “If there’s a car commercial for a Pinto, I’ll show up on set. Will I be in that movie [Social Network 2]? Yeah, I’ll be in anything. If you’re making a home movie for a kid, I’ll be in the home movie.”
The Oscar nominee even added that he doesn’t “care” how he’d be included — just as long as he gets to be featured in the sequel. “I don’t care if I’m sitting in a Pinto and saying, ‘Hey, everybody, buy the Pinto. Or an Edsel.’ I don’t care. I’m just happy to be involved,” Jesse pointed out.
What Would ‘The Social Network 2’ Be About?
Per Deadline, part 2 of The Social Network will not be a straight sequel, but rather a follow-up and an exploration of the Wall Street Journal‘s “The Facebook Files” by Jeff Horowitz. “The Facebook Files” was a series of articles published in 2021 that exposed the issued caused by the social media company.
