Wait, There’s a ‘Social Network 2’ and Bill Burr Might Be in It?

I’m someone who could be described as “often online.” I wouldn’t go with the oft-used “terminally online,” but I can come close. My wife jokes that my normal stance involves one hand holding my phone and the other hand holding my chin, while my head is staring at my phone. It helps that this job requires me to be at least somewhat attuned to the news, especially entertainment news. So, I was pretty astounded to learn today that a Social Network sequel is coming.

Aaron Sorkin will write and direct The Social Network Part II. Why they called it that and not The Social NeTWOrk is beyond me (it’s right there). The film is set to star Jeremy Allen White as Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, whose work inspired the film, Mikey Madison as Frances Haugen, a whistleblower at Facebook.com, and everybody’s favorite totally normal actor, Jeremy Strong, as Mark Zuckerberg.

I saw The Social Network and remember liking it quite a bit, enough to purchase it on DVD, which I still have. Still, I don’t remember if I ever rewatched it. Elements of it stick out in my head, but I’ve been floored to discover in recent years that people think so highly of it. The movie was released at a time when I wasn’t as aware of things like that, because I was too busy living on my own (with six roommates) for the first time.

Facebook was only six years old when The Social Network came out. Now, it’s old enough to buy liquor and has participated in several world-changing events. Apparently, that will be a driving aspect of the film. It will dig into how Facebook helped make January 6th happen. They’ll also dig into how the network discovered that it was bad for kids and teens. No thanks!

I’ve seen enough family and friends lose their goddamn minds on Facebook to know that I don’t need to see a retrospective about how destructive it is. I’m very much aware. The Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network seems quaint compared to the one we have today. While I don’t expect his portrayal to be flattering, it feels too close to home for me to want to sit through. Maybe Bill Burr will change my mind?

I like Burr, even if he is taking part in a certain white-washing comedy festival. In fact, announcing his participation in Sorkin’s new film this week feels timed to sap any attention from his work overseas. Burr will allegedly play a fictional character who is potentially an amalgam of several real folks.

This whole thing just feels weird to me. It’s nothing I’m that excited about, despite some of the talent involved. The subject matter is something I have no interest in seeing dramatized. Maybe I’ll change my tune in a year or so, but I’d rather go back to a world in which I didn’t know this was happening. Who knows? The way the world works, something could happen this weekend to knock it right out of my brain.