SIXTEEN YEARS AFTER the 2010 film The Social Network depicted Mark Zuckerberg’s founding and expansion of Facebook, a “companion” film will chronicle the lead up and publication of the Wall Street Journal’s 2021 exposé The Facebook Files.

The Social Reckoning is inspired by the true story of how a young Facebook engineer enlists the help of a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporter “to go on a dangerous journey that ends up blowing the whistle on the social network’s most guarded secrets”.

The WSJ investigation, based on leaked documents, revealed that the company was aware that its product caused teenage girls’ body image to worsen, and its algorithms actively pushed misinformation and political polarisation to maximise engagement.

The new film is written and directed by Aaron Sorkin (who was the scriptwriter behind The Social Network).

Jeremy Strong will play the Facebook founder. Sony Sony

The Social Network starred Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, with Andrew Garfield playing Zuckerberg’s cofounder Eduardo Saverin. The film was a commercial and critical success, garnering eight Academy Award nominations and winning three.

Now, Jeremy Strong (Succession, The Apprentice) will take on the role of an older, more embattled Zuckerberg.

Mikey Madison (Anora) is Frances Haugen, the engineer turned whistleblower, and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear, Shameless) is Jeff Horowitz, the WSJ reporter that led coverage of the exposé.

The film is due to hit cinemas on 9 October.