Bill Burr is currently in talks to star in The Social Network 2.
The comedian, who’s also acted in the likes of Old Dads and The Mandalorian, is reportedly close to being cast in the sequel to 2010’s The Social Network.
That’s according to an article from The Hollywood Reporter posted Thursday, September 25, which also lists other potential actors on the call sheet.
That list includes Jeremy Allen White, Mikey Madison and Jeremy Strong, who are “in the process of wrapping up their deals.”
As with the first film, which starred Jessie Eisenberg, Aaron Sorkin is again writing script. However, unlike the first, he takes over directing duties for Sony Pictures rather than David Fincher.
The film continues the true story charting the founding and rise of Facebook, which was based on a series of articles for The Wall Street Journal by Jeff Horwitz, known as The Facebook Files.
Its sequel will reportedly delve into the political and cultural impact of the iconic website, as well as the spawning of the mega-corporation Meta.
The Social Network 2 focuses on “how the company’s own reporting pointed to the negative effects its social media was having on teens and kids, how it knew misinformation was proliferating and causing violence and how it contributed to the violent insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021.”
Plot details are light, so the film’s scope is not yet clear. The Social Network 2 could take place across a massive time span, or be more localized, similar to Sorkin’s stripped-down drama about Apple founder Steve Jobs.
The line-up of talent is not short of awards gold. Sorkin earned an Academy Award for penning the 2010 original movie, while Madison won an Oscar for her role in Anora.
Burr, meanwhile, is no stranger to acting. He made his Broadway debut earlier this year, starring alongside Kieran Culkin and Bob Odenkirk in Glengarry Glen Ross. Burr next directs, co-writes, and stars in Born Losers.
He’s said to be playing a fictional character in The Social Network 2, not based on anyone in particular.
White, Madison and Strong are playing real-life people, however. According to THR, “White will play Wall Street Journal reporter Horwitz, Madison will portray Frances Haugen, the data engineer turned whistleblower, and Strong is said to be playing CEO Mark Zuckerberg.”
Production is due to start later this year in Vancouver.
