Jeremy Strong emailed Mark Zuckerberg without telling Sorkin — and never dropped the voice on set
Sorkin warned the rest of the cast that Strong would treat them the way he imagined Zuckerberg treats people.
If you thought The Social Network was the final word on Mark Zuckerberg and all that early Facebook drama, think again. Because Aaron Sorkin is back with a brand new film, and this time he's actually directing, too. The sequel, The Social Reckoning, sees Jeremy Strong stepping into Zuckerberg's Adidas sliders. And, in true Strong fashion, it sounds like he took method acting to a level that would make even Daniel Day-Lewis chuckle.
Jeremy Strong spent the entire shoot in character as Zuckerberg, reportedly never slipping back to his own voice or mannerisms, even during breaks.
Getting Into Zuckerberg's Head
Strong has a bit of a rep for getting lost in a role, but this might be his magnum opus. According to Sorkin, he didn’t just keep the Zuckerberg mask on while the camera was rolling—he maintained it all the time on set. Apparently, he also decided to get in touch with the real Mark Zuckerberg himself… but didn’t bother to give Sorkin a heads up about it. Not your average press junket prep, that.
Sorkin, talking to The New York Times, said he wasn’t exactly gobsmacked that Strong had gone fully off-piste. 'Jeremy does a lot of his own work. He does a tremendous amount of work before he shows up on your set.' The director even gave the rest of the cast an early warning about Strong’s all-in approach. Here's how Sorkin put it to his actors:
'Guys, he's not going to be hanging out with you at craft service. He's not going to be yucking it up with you between takes. He's probably not going to speak to you at all. He is going to treat you the way he imagines Mark treats the people around him.'
Who's Who This Time Around?
The big switch-up for The Social Reckoning is swapping out Jesse Eisenberg—who played Zuck in the original 2010 film—for Jeremy Strong. That original, of course, had David Fincher directing and Sorkin on script duty. Now, Sorkin, at 65, is taking the reins on both fronts. The plot, per the official logline, brings in whistleblower Frances Haugen (played by Mikey Madison) and Jeff Horwitz (that'll be Jeremy Allen White, fresh off his own critical success), who together uncover a trove of Facebook's dirtiest secrets. For supporting cast, they've pulled in Bill Burr, Billy Magnussen, Wunmi Mosaku, and Betty Gilpin, so that's not a bad little ensemble.
- Directed and written by Aaron Sorkin
- Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg
- Mikey Madison as Frances Haugen
- Jeremy Allen White as Jeff Horwitz
- Supporting cast: Bill Burr, Billy Magnussen, Wunmi Mosaku, Betty Gilpin
- Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing
The Social Reckoning is heading to cinemas on 9 October 2026.