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Comedian and actor Bill Burr is in talks to join the cast of Aaron Sorkin’s upcoming drama The Social Network Part II, a Sony Pictures project that has already drawn attention for its high-profile ensemble.
Sorkin, who won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing the original The Social Network in 2010, is returning as both screenwriter and director. The new film is inspired by The Facebook Files, a widely discussed series of articles by Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz. The investigative work detailed internal reports showing how Facebook—now Meta—was aware of the harmful impact its platform was having on users, especially teens, and how misinformation spread unchecked, contributing to real-world violence, including the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Where the 2010 film chronicled the creation of Facebook and the legal battles that followed, this sequel shifts the focus to accountability, corporate secrecy, and the social consequences of digital power.
The cast already boasts Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison, and Jeremy Strong. White will take on the role of journalist Jeff Horwitz, whose reporting exposed Meta’s internal struggles. Madison is set to portray Frances Haugen, the former data engineer turned whistleblower who became the face of the revelations. Strong, meanwhile, is attached to play Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, reprising the story’s central figure in a new, more scrutinized chapter of his career.
Burr’s role has not yet been confirmed in detail. Sources indicate he will not be portraying a real-life figure but rather a fictional or composite character, likely designed to capture broader aspects of the narrative or to serve as a stand-in for voices not represented by a single individual in the true events.
Production on The Social Network Part II is scheduled to begin later this year in Vancouver. The film is being produced by Todd Black, Peter Rice, Stuart Besser, and Sorkin himself.
Though best known for his acclaimed stand-up comedy and sharp-edged podcasting, Burr has built an increasingly varied screen career. He’s appeared in Breaking Bad, The Mandalorian, and Judd Apatow’s The King of Staten Island. In 2023, he made his directorial debut with Old Dads, which quickly became a global hit on Netflix, topping viewership charts with nearly 30 million views in its first 10 days. Earlier this year, Burr also earned strong reviews for his Broadway debut in Glengarry Glen Ross, where he starred alongside Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk. He is currently preparing his next directing project, Born Losers, which he co-wrote and will headline.
With Burr joining an already high-profile cast, The Social Network Part II is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched films in Sony’s upcoming slate—one that promises to examine not just how social media was built, but the profound and troubling consequences it has unleashed.
