Jeremy Strong has been added to the illustrious lineup circling Aaron Sorkin's highly anticipated "The Social Network Part II." Sorkin, an Academy Award winner for penning the seminal 2010 film, has penned the script and will helm this Sony drama, which draws inspiration from a series of articles penned by Jeff Horwitz for The Wall Street Journal, collectively known as "The Facebook Files."
Strong joins the esteemed ranks of Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White, among the select few thespians who have engaged in meetings with Sorkin as he assembles a cast and budget tailored for studio approval. Although insiders emphasize that no offers have been extended and the film remains in the nascent stages of development, the project is a top-tier priority for Sony and is progressing at a brisk pace.
While the lauded 2010 drama delved into the inception of Facebook, now rechristened Meta, the forthcoming feature will shine a spotlight on the company's internal reporting that unveiled the detrimental impacts of its social media platform on teenagers and children, its awareness of misinformation's proliferation and resultant violence, and its involvement in the January 6, 2021, coup attempt.
Should negotiations conclude favorably, Madison is poised to portray Frances Haugen, the data engineer-turned-whistleblower who disclosed her findings to the Securities and Exchange Commission and The Wall Street Journal. White, meanwhile, would embody the former WSJ tech reporter who spearheaded the groundbreaking coverage of "The Facebook Files."
The lingering question revolves around Strong's potential role. Sources hint at a part for a WSJ editor, but another tantalizing option looms: the role of Facebook/Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. One insider revealed that Jesse Eisenberg, who garnered an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Zuckerberg, has declined to reprise the character, at least for now. Whether this is a strategic maneuver remains to be seen.
Sony declined to comment. Sorkin, along with Todd Black, Peter Rice, and Stuart Besser, are steering the sequel's production.
One source likened the project to "The Insider," Michael Mann's 1999 film about a whistleblower who exposed the tobacco industry to 60 Minutes. Another drew comparisons to "Spotlight," the 2015 movie centered on Boston Globe reporters investigating child sex abuse within the city's Roman Catholic clergy.
Strong, a Tony and Emmy award winner, is perhaps best recognized for his role in HBO's critically acclaimed "Succession," where he portrayed the eldest son of Logan Roy, a patriarch modeled after Rupert Murdoch and played by Brian Cox. He previously collaborated with Sorkin on Netflix's "The Trial of the Chicago 7," portraying anti-war leader Jerry Rubin. Last year, Strong garnered an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Donald Trump mentor Roy Cohn in "The Apprentice."
