Aaron Sorkin shared how Jeremy Strong brings a fresh side to Mark Zuckerberg. He contrasts the portrayal with Jesse Eisenberg’s take on the tech icon. Sorkin also said he wasn’t looking to return to Facebook after The Social Network, but the story convinced him for the upcoming movie.
In an interview with E! News, the filmmaker said subtle nuances from the actor change a character completely. “I thought Jeremy’s performance, in the midst of him being that slightly robotic Mark, you see a lot of humanity,” he said. The Oscar winner pointed to a moment when Zuckerberg says, “I know what people think of me, so does my wife, so do my kids.” Sorkin added, “Jeremy’s great at letting moments like that land.”
“It’s 20 years later, and the company is much, much different, and this story puts him in a different position than he’s in in The Social Network.”
Jeremy Strong’s Zuckerberg is entering a very different chapter of the story
The filmmaker also added that The Social Network focused on the Facebook founder and the company’s founding, and the new film is about what it has become. He also stressed that Strong’s performance does not mean the character has become completely different. Instead, audiences should still recognize the same person, but one changed with time and circumstances.
Strong took the role seriously and even contacted Zuckerberg for the part. The 47-year-old reportedly studied interviews and footage of the billionaire founder while preparing for the character. The Apprentice star did not use his own voice and posture during the film’s production, altering them to match the Meta CEO.
Aaron Sorkin helms The Social Reckoning and also serves as producer alongside others. The movie follows whistleblower Frances Haugen (Mikey Madison) and reporter Jeff Horwitz (Jeremy Allen White) as they expose Facebook’s internal secrets.
The R-rated film, distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, hits theaters on October 9.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
