Jeremy Strong is one of the top names circling Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Network Part II. Sorkin, who won an Academy Award for writing the 2010 original film, wrote the script and will direct the Sony drama that is inspired by a series of articles written by Jeff Horwitz for The Wall Street Journal, known as The Facebook Files.
Strong is the latest actor, after Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White, to meet with Sorkin as he creates a package for a cast and budget to present to the studio for final approval. Sources say that no offers have been made and that the film is still in the developmental process, although the project is a top priority for Sony and is moving fast.
While the first film focused on the making of Facebook, now known as Meta, the sequel will focus on how the company’s own reporting led to the negative effects the company’s social media was having on teens and kids, how it knew misinformation was escalating and causing violence, and how it contributed to the events of January 6, 2021.
If offers and dealmaking close, Madison would portray Frances Haugen, the data engineer-turned-whistleblower who went to the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Wall Street Journal with her information. White would portray the former WSJ tech reporter who leads the breaking of the Facebook files. There are still questions surrounding who Strong would portray.
It’s possible he could portray a WSJ editor, but there is also a possibility he will portray Facebook/Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It was reported that Jesse Eisenberg, who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Zuckerberg, has passed on reprising the role, at least at this time. Sony had no comment.
Sorkin, Todd Black, Peter Rice, and Stuart Besser are producing the sequel.
The Tony and Emmy winner is best known for his role as the eldest son, Logan Roy, in HBO’s Succession. He also previously worked with Sorkin on Netflix’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, in which he played anti-war leader Jerry Rubin.
Strong’s most recent role was as Donald Trump’s mentor, Roy Cohn, in The Apprentice, a performance that earned him an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
