Mark Zuckerberg has graduated from merely being “an asshole” in The Social Network to being a possibly evil “post-government” mega-mogul in the new trailer for The Social Reckoning, the sequel to the original David Fincher-directed movie that won Aaron Sorkin his sole Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.
This time, Sorkin is going full auteur as director, writer, and producer to illuminate the events surrounding the Wall Street Journal‘s 2021 exposé The Facebook Files. The film is inspired by the true story of how Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison), a young Facebook engineer, enlists the help of Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White), a tech reporter (or tech reporter “ish”) who helps Haugen blow the the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets.
Most strikingly, Jeremy Strong steps in as Zuckerberg. While Jesse Eisenberg’s portrayal of the Facebook founder and CEO was more spiritual than literal, Strong is decidedly imitating the real-life man in appearance, mannerisms, and speech. “I’m a free speech absolutist,” Strong’s Zuckerberg says in a particularly chilling scene. “I’m not the one who’s lying, and I’m not stopping them from seeing someone who is.”
As Strong’s Zuckerberg walks out to deliver a keynote, one of the most concerning accusations is narrated: “Anxiety and depression of teenage girls got worse as a result of time spent on the platform. Senior leadership knows and is doing nothing about it.” Billy Magnussen plays one of those senior officials—Teddy—who tells Horwitz, “We’re twice as big as the biggest country on Earth. We’re not frightened of government. We’re post-government around here.”
Comedian Bill Burr plays Charlie, an advisor to Zuckerberg who says, “These guys are counting on the next round of congressional testimony to make you likable, Mark. I’m happy to lend a hand, but I think you’re doomed.”
While Jeff Cronenweth returns as cinematographer, Alexandre Desplat replaces Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, whose eerie spatial electronic music in The Social Network earned the duo an Academy Award for Best Original Score.
Also starring Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Anna Lambe, Aidan Laprete, Kelley Pereira, Nelson Franklin, Portia Doubleday, Patrick Fischler, Joseph Brooks, Sierra Capri, Tehmina Sunny, and Alex MacIsaac, The Social Reckoning hits theaters on October 9. Watch the trailer below: