‘The Social Network Part 2’ will see a major casting upset with Jesse Eisenberg not reprising the role of Facebook co-founder, Mark Zuckerberg.
The movie is a sequel to David Fincher‘s Oscar-winning 2010 biopic about Mark Zuckerberg and how Facebook came to be. Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the first scrip, returns to lend his talent to the sequel as well.
Why Jesse Eisenberg won’t return as Mark Zuckerberg?
Eisenberg, known for movies like Now You See Me, has passed on the chance to play Zuckerberg, The Hollywood Reporter said, but suggested that this may be a ‘negotiation tactic’.
Eisenberg, meanwhile, is 41, and would have to play a character at least a decade younger than him.
The film, announced to be in active development in June, is set to take place years after the ending of The Social Network and follow the exposure of Facebook’s inner workings and the harm the company has caused.
This would mean the movie is likely set in 2021, when Horowitz’s The Facebook Files articles, came out. The movie could also take a look at the years leading up to it. Zuckerberg, in real life, was in his mid thirties at the time.
Anora’s Mikey Madison and The Bear’s Jeremy Allen White are reportedly in talks to play Frances Haugen, the whistleblower, and Wall Street Journal tech reporter Jeff Horowitz, respectively.
Who could play Mark Zuckerberg?
As per Deadline, Jeremy Strong of Succession fame could be tapped to play Zuckerberg. However, this casting doesn’t make much sense, because Strong is 46 – older than Eisenberg, who passed up on the chance to step into the shoes of Zuckerberg.
Having said that, Strong’s experience from works like The Apprentice, set him up nicely to portray the Meta chairman.
