This image released by Sony Pictures shows writer-director Aaron Sorkin, left, with actor Mikey Madison on the set of \u201cThe Social Reckoning.\u201d (Leah Gallo\/Sony Pictures via AP)<\/small><\/p>\n
2026-09-01T10:00:56Z<\/p>\n
NEW YORK (AP) \u2014 When Aaron Sorkin<\/a><\/span> made 2010\u2019s \u201cThe Social Network,\u201d he had heard of Facebook, he said at the time<\/a><\/span>, \u201cthe way I\u2019ve heard of a carburetor.\u201d Sixteen years later, he has a much deeper idea of what Mark Zuckerberg\u2019s<\/a><\/span> social media empire has become.<\/p>\n \u201cBack then, Facebook was a way to keep in touch with people you went to high school with. It\u2019s something much different now,\u201d Sorkin says. \u201c\u2018The Social Network\u2019 was about the invention of Facebook. \u2018Social Reckoning\u2019 is about what it\u2019s become and, in particular, Facebook\u2019s role in the rise of extremism and divisiveness.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Social Reckoning,\u201d which Sony Pictures will release Oct. 9, is one of the most timely movies arriving in theaters this fall. Last week, Sony debuted the film\u2019s trailer<\/a><\/span> the same day that Meta, Facebook\u2019s parent company, agreed to pay up to $18 billion<\/a><\/span> in penalties over claims its platform endangered children.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Social Reckoning\u201d is poised to further scrutinize the social media behemoth at a time when Zuckerberg is under greater pressure than ever over the role Facebook plays in contemporary life and politics.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you see this movie, No. 1, I want you to be entertained,\u201d Sorkin said in a recent exclusive interview with The Associated Press while doing the final mix on the film. \u201cNo. 2, you should be alarmed when you see the movie. I think people will be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe Social Reckoning\u201d is one of several films this fall that will take aim at the tech moguls who have helped remake American life. Alex Gibney will unveil his four-hour documentary on Elon Musk, \u201cMusk,\u201d<\/a><\/span> on Oct. 16. Luca Guadagnino\u2019s \u201cArtificial\u201d<\/a><\/span> dramatizes the saga of Sam Altman, the OpenAI chief executive.<\/p>\n But \u201cThe Social Reckoning,\u201d which Sorkin wrote and directed, is sure to cause a stir given not just its subject but the legacy of \u201cThe Social Network.\u201d Often cited as among the best American movies of the century, the film \u2014 directed by David Fincher and written by Sorkin \u2014 did much to examine and mythologize the origins of Facebook. It is, Sorkin acknowledges, a lot to live up to.<\/p>\n \u201cTo tell you the truth, I was hesitant,\u201d Sorkin said. \u201cI recognize the shadow that \u2018The Social Network\u2019 casts. But I think what\u2019s going to happen is, 10 minutes into the movie, you\u2019ll have forgotten about that and be invested in this.\u201d<\/p>\nTech moguls are getting their close-up this fall <\/h2>\n