Aaron Sorkin on why he made another movie about Facebook, and how real life translates to film

Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin wasn't seeking to produce another film centered around Facebook. His breakthrough came after he encountered Frances Haugen, a former Facebook employee who had exposed potential dangers of the company's social media platforms. The resulting film, "The Social Reckoning," will be released in theaters on Friday.

Sorkin, who also directed the movie, revealed that his interest was sparked after a year-long bout of writer's block. "The Social Network," released in 2010, chronicled the founding of Facebook and starred Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg. The new movie focuses on Haugen and journalist Jeff Horwitz, who wrote a series for The Wall Street Journal called "The Facebook Files" based on her internal documents.

The story is presented as a David and Goliath tale, with Haugen and print journalism as the champions. Sony Pictures acquired the rights to Horwitz's story when he was employed by The Wall Street Journal and later turned it into a book in 2023. "The Social Reckoning" is a fictionalized account of events and does not rely on Horwitz's later reporting for Reuters.

The film chronicles Haugen's meetings with Horwitz starting in December 2020 and her decision to go public with her revelations. Haugen ultimately testifies before Congress about her concerns regarding Facebook's algorithm and its impact on global politics. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the film. Haugen's decision to testify led to Facebook agreeing to pay up to $18 billion over the next decade to limit how teenagers use their platforms.

The company denied any wrongdoing but stated ensuring the safety and productivity of teenagers was an "absolute imperative" for them.