History of The Social Network in Timeline

The Social Network depicts the controversial creation of Facebook and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg. The film showcases Zuckerberg's transformation from a Harvard student to a billionaire, focusing on the lawsuits filed against him by the Winklevoss twins, who accused him of stealing their idea, and by his friend Eduardo Saverin, who claimed he was wrongly ousted from the company. The movie explores themes of ambition, betrayal, and the impact of social media on society, highlighting the complex relationships and legal battles that accompanied Facebook's rapid rise to global dominance. The film is based on Ben Mezrich's book "The Accidental Billionaires."

1970: Love Story filming caused damage at Harvard

Since the filming of Love Story in 1970 caused significant physical damage to trees on campus, Harvard has turned down most requests for on-location filming.

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October 28, 2003: Zuckerberg creates Facemash

On October 28, 2003, Mark Zuckerberg created Facemash. He hacked and downloaded photos of female students from house face books and allowed site visitors to rate their attractiveness. This resulted in him receiving six months of academic probation after the site crashed parts of Harvard's computer network.

2003: Critique of the film's portrayal of Harvard

Nathan Heller of Slate wrote a negative review of The Social Network, criticizing its portrayal of Harvard in 2003 as a citadel of old money.

2003: Setting of The Social Network

The story in The Social Network largely takes place in 2003 at Harvard University. Peter Bradshaw gave the film four stars, praising David Fincher's directing.

2004: Facebook expansion and legal dispute

In 2004, after losing in the Henley Royal Regatta, the Winklevoss twins discovered Facebook had expanded to Europe and sued the company for intellectual property theft. Saverin objected to Parker's decision-making and froze the company's bank account. They secured $500,000 from angel investor Peter Thiel.

August 2008: Sorkin starts Facebook group for research

In August 2008, Aaron Sorkin started a Facebook group for research purposes while working on the film about how Facebook was invented. He emphasized the role of the competing narratives.

July 2009: Script Leaked Online

In July 2009, the script for The Social Network was leaked online.

October 2009: Casting announcements

In October 2009, Brenda Song, Rooney Mara, Armie Hammer, Shelby Young, and Josh Pence were cast in The Social Network. Casting had begun mid-2009, with Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, and Andrew Garfield announced to star.

October 2009: Principal photography begins

In October 2009, principal photography for The Social Network began in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scenes were filmed around the campuses of Phillips Academy and Milton Academy. Additional scenes were filmed on the campus of Wheelock College.

November 2009: Kevin Spacey Comments on the Film's Tone

In November 2009, Kevin Spacey, executive producer of The Social Network, stated that the film would be funnier than expected. The Cardinal Courier speculated about the film's themes and potential success.

2009: Publication of "The Accidental Billionaires"

In 2009, Ben Mezrich published "The Accidental Billionaires", a book that served as the basis for the film The Social Network. Eduardo Saverin consulted for the book.

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook: A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal

Check it on Amazon

2009: Kellerhouse contacted to design key art

In late 2009, Ceán Chaffin contacted Neil Kellerhouse to work on the key art for The Social Network. He wanted to highlight the drama that went with Mark Zuckerberg's success.

June 1, 2010: Reznor and Ross to score the film

On June 1, 2010, it was announced that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross would score the film The Social Network.

June 2, 2010: Zuckerberg Comments on the Film at D8 Conference

On June 2, 2010, at the D8 conference, Mark Zuckerberg expressed his displeasure about The Social Network being based on him. He later told Oprah Winfrey that the film's portrayal of drama and partying was mostly fictional. He said the movie accurately depicted his wardrobe.

June 18, 2010: Release of first theatrical poster

On June 18, 2010, the first theatrical poster for The Social Network, designed by Neil Kellerhouse, was released. It featured the tagline "You don't get to 300 million friends without making a few enemies".

June 25, 2010: Release of first teaser trailer

On June 25, 2010, the first teaser trailer for The Social Network was released.

July 16, 2010: Release of full-length theatrical trailer

On July 16, 2010, the full-length theatrical trailer for The Social Network debuted, featuring an edited version of the song "Creep" covered by Scala & Kolacny Brothers.

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September 24, 2010: Premiere at the New York Film Festival

On September 24, 2010, The Social Network premiered at the New York Film Festival.

September 28, 2010: Release of The Social Network Film Score

On September 28, 2010, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails released their award-winning score for The Social Network.

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2010: The Social Network appears on critics' top-ten lists

In 2010, The Social Network appeared on 78 film critics' top-ten lists of the best films of the year, based on Metacritic's aggregation.

2010: The Social Network released in theaters

In 2010, The Social Network was released in theaters in the United States. It debuted at No. 1, grossing $22.4 million during its opening weekend. The film grossed $224.9 million worldwide during its theatrical run.

2010: Release of The Social Network

In 2010, The Social Network, a biographical drama film directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, was released. The film portrays the founding of Facebook and stars Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg.

2010: Rashida Jones cast in the film

In 2010, it was announced that Rashida Jones would appear as Marylin Delpy in The Social Network.

January 11, 2011: The Social Network Released on DVD and Blu-ray

On January 11, 2011, The Social Network was released on DVD and Blu-ray by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In its first week, DVD sales reached $13,470,305, making it the top-selling DVD of the week. The release included audio commentaries and featurettes.

January 16, 2011: The Social Network Wins Golden Globe Awards

On January 16, 2011, The Social Network won the Best Motion Picture – Drama Golden Globe at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. The film also won awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.

February 13, 2011: The Social Network Wins British Academy Film Awards

On February 13, 2011, The Social Network won three British Academy Film Awards for Best Editing, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Direction. The film was nominated for seven awards including Best Film, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Eisenberg), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Garfield), and Rising Star Award (Garfield).

February 27, 2011: The Social Network Wins Academy Awards

On February 27, 2011, at the 83rd Academy Awards, The Social Network won three awards: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

2011: Reznor and Ross win Golden Globe and Academy Awards

In 2011, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross won the award for Best Original Score at the Golden Globe Awards, as well as the Academy Award for Best Original Score for the Social Network.

2011: Theatrical trailer wins Grand Key Art award

In 2011, the theatrical trailer for The Social Network won the Grand Key Art award at the Key Art Awards, sponsored by The Hollywood Reporter.

2016: Rolling Stone Ranks The Social Network Second Best of Decade

In 2016, Rolling Stone ranked The Social Network second after Moonlight (2016) on its end-of-decade list, describing it as "one deliciously re-watchable preview of the apocalypse, as entertaining and cheeky as it is troubling and startlingly prescient".

2016: Voted one of the best films of the 21st century

In 2016, The Social Network was voted the 27th-best film of the 21st century by the BBC, as voted on by 177 film critics from around the world.

2018: IndieWire Ranks Screenplay Fourth Best of the Century

In 2018, IndieWire writers ranked The Social Network's screenplay as the fourth best American screenplay of the 21st century. The article argued that the film's success was largely due to Aaron Sorkin's Oscar-winning screenplay, noting that it may have been too sympathetic in its portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg.

January 2019: Sorkin Reveals Rudin Suggested Sequel Development

In January 2019, Aaron Sorkin revealed that Scott Rudin suggested developing a screenplay for a sequel to The Social Network, noting that much dramatic stuff had occurred since the first film ended, leading to enough material to create a sequel.

July 18, 2019: Eisenberg Expresses Interest in Starring in Sequel

On July 18, 2019, Jesse Eisenberg expressed interest in starring in the proposed sequel to The Social Network, citing Aaron Sorkin's genius and his willingness to participate in any project Sorkin chose to write.

February 2020: New York Magazine Lists Among 'Best Movies That Lost Best Picture'

The February 2020 issue of New York Magazine lists The Social Network as among "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars."

October 2020: Sorkin Conditions Sequel on Fincher's Return

In October 2020, a decade after the film's release, Aaron Sorkin announced he would only write the sequel's script if David Fincher returned as director.

October 2021: The Social Network Released on Ultra HD Blu-ray

In October 2021, The Social Network was released on Ultra HD Blu-ray as part of the Columbia Classics 4K Ultra HD Collection (Volume 2), featuring a new Dolby Atmos mix and upscaled Dolby Vision/HDR10 transfer from the film's 2K master.

2023: Fincher Discusses Sequel Possibility

In 2023, David Fincher told The Guardian that he and Aaron Sorkin had discussed a sequel to The Social Network, describing it as "a can of worms."

April 26, 2024: Sorkin Working on Facebook Movie Script Tied to January 6 Attack

On April 26, 2024, Aaron Sorkin said he had been working on the script for a new Facebook movie tied to the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

2024: Looper Ranks Number 5 on "50 Best PG-13 Movies of All Time"

In 2024, Looper ranked The Social Network number 5 on its list of the "50 Best PG-13 Movies of All Time,"

2024: Selection for National Film Registry

In 2024, The Social Network was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

June 2025: The Social Network Ranked on The New York Times' List

In June 2025, The Social Network ranked number 10 on The New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."

June 25, 2025: Sequel 'The Social Network Part II' Announced

On June 25, 2025, it was announced that a sequel, The Social Network Part II, was in active development with Sorkin returning to write and direct.

July 2025: The Social Network Ranked on Rolling Stone's List

In July 2025, The Social Network ranked number 13 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century."

July 2025: Reports on Cast Meetings and Development Stage

In July 2025, Variety reported that although there had been meetings with possible cast members for The Social Network Part II, the film was still in the development stage and had not yet received the green light from Sony.

September 2025: Sequel Titled 'The Social Reckoning' with Cast Announcements

In September 2025, it was announced that the sequel would be called The Social Reckoning, set to be released by Sony Pictures in October 2026. Strong was cast as Zuckerberg, Madison as Haugen, and White as Horwitz. Bill Burr was also in talks to star as a fictional character.