Ahead of the release of “The Social Reckoning” on Oct. 9, director Aaron Sorkin is telling all on the film’s much-discussed reshoots, limited test screenings and why Trump is never named explicitly, despite the January 6 riot playing a part in the plot. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Sorkin explained that the reshoots, which took place after the trailer was released, had nothing to do with the initial mixed reactions and were simply to “make it better.” “We weren’t correcting anything,” he said. We need to reshoot this.’ And that usually happens on $150 million superhero movies.
The other kinds of reshoots are ‘Oh, we really like this movie. Let’s make it better.’” He explained that Sony Pictures chairman and CEO Tom Rothman asked if there was anything he’d want to reshoot, if given the option. Their work culminated in “The Facebook Files,” a 2021 investigative series revealing Facebook’s harmful effects on teens and its role in spreading misinformation, including content linked to political violence.
However, despite the relevance of politics to the real-life events the film is based on and its recreation of Jan. 6, Trump is not mentioned by name in “The Social Reckoning,” a decision Sorkin stands by. And I promised him, unprovoked, that we would not see any Trump signage, no ‘Make America Great Again.’ The movie is about Facebook’s role and the rise of divisiveness, extremism, and hyper-partisanship in the country. It is not a red-blue thing, even though, obviously, it will be felt that way.” Sorkin also revealed that a scene in which one of Facebook’s senior officials says, “I don’t know what that bitch thinks she’s doing,” had to be rewritten to remove the expletive, per the outside legal firm hired by Sony’s.
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