The Social Network

The Social Network

The Social Network is a 2010 American biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin. The film tells the story of how Facebook was started. It is based on the book The Accidental Billionaires by Ben Mezrich.

The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, the person who created Facebook. Other actors play his friends and people who helped him, such as Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin and Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker.

Making the movie began when Aaron Sorkin agreed to write the script. Filming started in October of that year in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and later scenes were filmed in Los Angeles and Pasadena in California. The music was made by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from the band Nine Inch Nails.

The movie was shown for the first time at the New York Film Festival on September 24, 2010, and then released in theaters in the United States on October 1. It became very popular and made a lot of money. Many critics said it was one of the best movies of the year. It won several important awards, including for its writing, music, and editing. Even today, the film is remembered as one of the best movies of the 2010s and is kept safe in the United States National Film Registry because it is very important to culture and history.

Plot

The film shows the early days of creating Facebook through two court cases. In one case, Mark Zuckerberg is sued by his friend Eduardo Saverin, and in the other, he is sued by twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss.

It begins in 2003 when 19-year-old Mark Zuckerberg, a student at Harvard University, creates a website called Facemash. This website causes some trouble at Harvard. Later, Zuckerberg and Saverin start a new website called TheFacebook just for Harvard students. It becomes popular, and they expand it to other schools. Saverin helps with the business side, but things get complicated when another student, Sean Parker, joins and suggests renaming it to Facebook. Saverin feels treated unfairly and eventually leaves the company. Both he and the Winklevoss twins sue Zuckerberg, but the cases are settled without going to court. In the end, Zuckerberg becomes very wealthy from Facebook.

Cast

The film has many talented actors. Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg, who created Facebook. Andrew Garfield acts as Eduardo Saverin, Zuckerberg's friend and partner. Justin Timberlake appears as Sean Parker, an early Facebook employee.

Other actors include Armie Hammer as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, twins who worked with Zuckerberg. Max Minghella plays Divya Narendra, another friend from Facebook's early days. The cast also includes Brenda Song, Rashida Jones, and many other talented performers.

Production

Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin liked the film's story because it talked about friendship, loyalty, and power. It was about Facebook. He started writing after reading an early draft of Ben Mezrich's book The Accidental Billionaires.

Casting began in mid-2009. Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield were chosen for the main roles. Filming started in October 2009 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. They used campuses of schools like Phillips Academy and Milton Academy to look like Harvard. Some scenes were also filmed at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

The music was made by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. They later won an award for their work.

Marketing

Poster

The first poster for the movie came out on June 18, 2010. It showed the actor playing Mark Zuckerberg and had words about making friends and having enemies. People liked the poster's design because it looked special.

Trailers

A small preview clip for the movie was released on June 25, 2010, with another one in July. The full trailer came out on July 16, 2010, and had a song sung by a choir. This trailer was shown before other movies in theaters and later won an award for the best trailer in 2011.

Release

The Social Network premiered at the New York Film Festival on September 24, 2010.

Box office

The film was released in theaters in the United States on October 1–3, 2010. It debuted at No. 1. By the end of its run, the film grossed $224.9 million worldwide.

Critical reception

The Social Network received widespread critical acclaim. Reviewers praised the film's writing, direction, and performances.

The Social Network appeared on many top-ten lists of the best films of 2010.

Home media

The Social Network was released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 11, 2011 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The DVD and Blu-ray releases include audio commentaries, a documentary, and several featurettes. The film was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray in October 2021.

Accolades

Main article: List of accolades received by The Social Network

The Social Network received many awards and nominations. It won the Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe at the 68th Golden Globe Awards on January 16, 2011. The film also won awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

The film was nominated for several British Academy Film Awards and won three, including Best Editing and Best Direction. It was also nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three, including Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Score. The film won Best Picture from several film critics groups.

Historical accuracy

The movie The Social Network was based on a book about how Facebook started. Some people found it funny, while others thought it wasn’t like real life. Mark Zuckerberg, the real person the movie is about, said the movie made it seem like he partied a lot, but he was mostly working hard. He did like that they got his clothes right! Other people who helped start Facebook said the movie left out many important facts and made some things up to make the story more exciting. They felt the movie was more about telling a good story than showing exactly what happened. Some viewers thought the movie didn’t show the real problems with the legal system that happened when people argued over who owned Facebook. Overall, many people felt the movie was more for entertainment than a true story.

Legacy

Since the movie came out, The Social Network has inspired many people to start their own businesses and join social media. Some say the movie made people feel they could build something big, like the characters in the film. Even the real person the movie is based on, Mark Zuckerberg, mentioned how the film might encourage new entrepreneurs.

Over time, critics and fans have kept praising The Social Network. It has been called one of the best films of the 2010s by many famous reviewers. Some compare it to classic movies, saying it shows the spirit of our times, especially with how social media has changed the world. The movie’s writing, directing, and acting have all been highly praised, and it remains an important and thought-provoking film today.

Main articles: List of accolades received by The Social Network, The Accidental Billionaires Further information: David Fincher filmography, Aaron Sorkin bibliography

Future

Main article: The Social Reckoning

In January 2019, the writer of the movie, Aaron Sorkin, said they were thinking about making a sequel. In October 2020, Sorkin said he would only write the sequel if the same director came back. By April 2024, Sorkin was working on a script about big events in the United States.

In June 2025, it was announced that a sequel called The Social Network Part II was being made. By September 2025, the sequel's title was changed to The Social Reckoning, and it will come out in October 2026. Some actors were talking about joining the film, including Jeremy Strong to play a character based on Mark Zuckerberg, Mikey Madison as Frances Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White as Jeff Horwitz. Filming started in Vancouver in October 2025.