With Facebook being the most popular social network website in the world, its founder being involved with some sketchy political secrets, and its users’ privacy coming into question on a daily basis, it seems like The Social Network only scratched the surface back in 2010.
It’s likely that upon penning the script for the movie, Aaron Sorkin knew that the site was only going to continue to grow in popularity, but it’s unlikely that he knew just how much power the network would have over its users and the world at large back when he collaborated with David Fincher. Given everything that’s come to light about Facebook, cinephiles have been clamoring for a sequel to Tarantino’s favorite movie of the decade, even Sorkin himself.
Should Be Made: Aaron Sorkin Wants To Pen The Script
Being one of the greatest writers of our generation, Aaron Sorkin has crafted everything from The West Wing to The Trial of the Chicago 7, and he has a ton of projects that should be brought back, but none more important than The Social Network. Surprisingly enough, Sorkin agrees, and he has mentioned several times over that he wants to write a screenplay for a sequel, but he’ll only do it if David Fincher returns to the director’s chair.
Shouldn’t Be Made: Zuckerberg Is Now More Of A Meme Than Anything
Though the movie is one of the best biopics about celebrities, when The Social Network was first released, most people didn’t actually know who was behind the creation of Facebook. But since then, Zuckerberg has thrust himself into the cult of celebrity, being all over TMZ and the subject of several thousand memes, so it’d be hard to take the character so seriously if he returns to the big screen after 10 years.
Should Be Made: The Cambridge Analytica Scandal
It has been well documented that Facebook uses its users’ personal details without their permission, but it all reached a boiling point when the UK company Cambridge Analytica acquired millions of users’ data without consent to use for political advertising. This would make an incredible political drama in itself as it’s own standalone movie, but the material in the hands of Sorkin with the purpose for a Social Network sequel would be golden.
Shouldn’t Be Made: Fincher’s Heart Isn’t In It
If David Fincher wanted to make the movie, he would have agreed to do it by now. Fincher is one of the few directors in Hollywood whose name seems to have enough pull for him to work on whatever he likes, whether it’s a remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, which features some truly grotesque scenes, or a black and white movie about the making of Citizen Kane.
Though The Social Network might be one of Fincher’s best movies, if Fincher doesn’t want to do it, it probably wouldn’t end up great if he agreed to the job.
Should Be Made: Users’ Privacy
In 2019, Facebook was ordered to pay $5 billion, which was ordered by the Federal Trade Commission. Though it’s only a drop in the ocean for Zuckerberg’s company, the biggest hit is that Zuckerberg no longer has control over the independent company that handles users’ privacy. This has been the single biggest issue with Facebook ever since the website opened its doors to the public, and it’s one of the most important things that should be addressed in a sequel.
Shouldn’t Be Made: No Heroes
There were few characters audiences could get behind in The Social Network, as most of the characters were written as overly-dramatic and completely self-entitled Harvard alumni.
But there was Eduardo Saverin, played by Andrew Garfield, which is one of the actor’s best roles, and even The Winklevi stood as heroes more than Zuckerberg. However, in a sequel, there isn’t a single person who could serve as a moral compass f0r the story.
Should Be Made: The Mueller Report
Facebook was heavily mentioned in The Mueller Report, which is the report of the investigation of how much interference Russia had on the presidential election in 2016. It is reported that a Russian agency was targeting Facebook users with Facebook groups that were criticizing Hilary Clinton. It’s another thrilling political element that would add another dimension to the gripping Sorkin helmed narrative.
Shouldn’t Be Made: Almost None Of The Same Cast
As Zuckerberg burned almost every bridge by the end of the first movie after going through a sea of lawsuits, there was nobody left by his side. He split with Eduardo, the Winklevi are long gone, and all who is left is Justin Timberlake’s Sean Parker and Eisenberg’s Mark Zuckerberg. The supporting cast in the original movie was one of the best things about it, but 10 years on, they’re all out of the picture.
Should Be Made: Jesse Eisenberg Will Return
Though the supporting cast will be absent, Jesse Eisenberg’ s phenomenal Academy Award-nominated take on the real-life billionaire will be very much present, and an even bigger villain than ever before. Better yet, Eisenberg has also said he would bite Fincher’s handoff to return for a sequel. With both the screenwriter and the lead actor already on board, the studio must surely be begging Fincher to return, as the first movie basically printed money at the box office.
Shouldn’t Be Made: Everybody Already Knows Everything
One of the reasons why The Social Network is such a great movie is because it gave audiences a fly on the wall look at what was going on behind the scenes of the company from even before its inception, even if it was criticized for its inaccuracy.
However, with everything that has happened in the 10 years since, it has all been at the very forefront of the news, so it’ll be hard to make that stuff compelling. And it’ll be almost impossible to find information that isn’t already well known to the general public.