It turns out Jesse Eisenberg came closer than expected to returning as Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin’s “The Social Reckoning.” But after three days of trying, Sorkin couldn’t convince him to revisit the role that earned Eisenberg an Oscar nomination in David Fincher’s “The Social Network.”
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Sorkin revealed that he initially brought the role of Zuckerberg to Eisenberg before casting Jeremy Strong in the upcoming film. “I felt like it belonged to him, and he was certainly battle-tested,” Sorkin said. But Eisenberg stood firm in his decision not to return.
Though Sorkin said he did not want to speak for Eisenberg, he explained, “He simply did not want to be conflated with Mark Zuckerberg anymore, that he has his problems with the guy. He doesn’t like kids coming up to him in airports with business cards that say ‘I’m CEO, bitch’ for him to sign.”
That opened the door for Strong, who stepped into the role and, according to Sorkin, immediately transformed into the Facebook founder. The “Succession” actor is known for his immersive approach to performance, and Sorkin said he “followed his lead. He showed up on his first day, and when he said ‘good morning’ to me, he was already talking like Mark.”
Still, Sorkin said he approached Zuckerberg the same way he would any character, without turning the film into an easy takedown. “I can’t judge Mark Zuckerberg while I’m writing it,” he said. “You’ve got to write that character like they’re making their case to God why they should be allowed into heaven.”
“The Social Reckoning” is not a traditional sequel to “The Social Network,” but Sorkin has described it as a companion piece about what Facebook became after its creation. The film is inspired by The Wall Street Journal’s “The Facebook Files” investigation and stars Mikey Madison as whistleblower Frances Haugen and Jeremy Allen White as reporter Jeff Horwitz.
Sorkin also revealed that “The Social Reckoning” was the first script he wrote, knowing he would direct it himself. Even so, Fincher remained part of the process. “David, I think, was the first one to read the script,” Sorkin said. “He was just very enthusiastic and eager to help any way he could.”
Whether or not Eisenberg had returned, “The Social Reckoning” was always going to exist in the long shadow of “The Social Network.” But with Strong now taking on Zuckerberg, Sorkin’s follow-up has found a very different actor to make the case. “The Social Reckoning” hits theaters on October 9.
