{"id":8090135,"date":"2026-10-03T13:07:10","date_gmt":"2026-10-03T20:07:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/?p=8090135"},"modified":"2026-10-03T13:31:32","modified_gmt":"2026-10-03T20:31:32","slug":"aaron-sorkin-jesse-eisenberg-turning-down-social-reckoning-pay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/creative-content\/movies\/aaron-sorkin-jesse-eisenberg-turning-down-social-reckoning-pay\/","title":{"rendered":"Aaron Sorkin Explains Jesse Eisenberg Turning Down &#8216;The Social Reckoning&#8217;: &#8216;Money Does Not Motivate&#8217; Him"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Aaron Sorkin returned to the world of Facebook for &#8220;The Social Reckoning,&#8221; the writer-director&#8217;s follow-up to &#8220;The Social Network.&#8221; But few of his conspirators from that hit have returned for this next film: most conspicuously, Jesse Eisenberg, who received an Oscar nomination in 2011 for his performance as tech giant Mark Zuckerberg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It wasn&#8217;t for lack of trying, explains Sorkin. The filmmaker, who took over directing duties on &#8220;Reckoning&#8221; after David Fincher helmed &#8220;The Social Network,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/aaron-sorkin-jesse-eisenberg-not-motivated-money-social-reckoning-its-infuriating-12153268\">suggested to Entertainment Weekly<\/a> that Sony Pictures made a considerable offer to Eisenberg in an attempt to lure him back to one of his most iconic roles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I knew what the studio was offering him to do it, but money does not motivate Jesse. It\u2019s infuriating,\u201d Sorkin said. \u201cIf anything, money is a disincentive for him. It\u2019s admirable. He\u2019s very concerned about raising his kids with too much money.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-wrap-read-more\">\n\t<div class=\"the-wrap-read-more__container\">\n\t\t<a class=\"the-wrap-read-more__image\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/creative-content\/movies\/why-social-reckoning-doesnt-mention-trump\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=300&amp;height=169&amp;fit=bounds\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"Jeremy Strong in &#039;The Social Reckoning&#039; (Columbia Pictures)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=300&amp;height=169&amp;fit=bounds 300w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=768&amp;height=432&amp;fit=bounds 768w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=1024&amp;height=576&amp;fit=bounds 1024w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=320&amp;height=180&amp;fit=bounds 320w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=640&amp;height=360&amp;fit=bounds 640w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=380&amp;height=214&amp;fit=bounds 380w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=760&amp;height=428&amp;fit=bounds 760w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=394&amp;height=222&amp;fit=bounds 394w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=788&amp;height=444&amp;fit=bounds 788w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=778&amp;height=438&amp;fit=bounds 778w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=976&amp;height=549&amp;fit=bounds 976w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=990&amp;height=557&amp;fit=bounds 990w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675&amp;fit=bounds 1200w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/JeremyStrongSocialReckoning.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-portal-copyright=\"TheWrap\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div class=\"the-wrap-read-more__headline\">\n\t\t\t<strong>Read Next<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/creative-content\/movies\/why-social-reckoning-doesnt-mention-trump\/\">&#039;The Social Reckoning&#039; Tackles Jan. 6, but Doesn&#039;t Mention Trump \u2014 Aaron Sorkin Explains Why<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Sorkin also recalled his own efforts to court Eisenberg, saying that it &#8220;never occurred to me that he wouldn&#8217;t want to do it.&#8221; After sending the actor a script, Sorkin outlined his arguments for why Eisenberg should return to the role.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;I do remember Jesse saying at one point during the third or fourth back-and-forth (saying), \u2018You have come closer to changing my mind than I thought you were going to.\u2019 So I was pleased about that,&#8221; the filmmaker added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/culture-lifestyle\/culture\/the-social-reckoning-why-jesse-eisenberg-not-mark-zuckerberg-jeremy-strong\/\"> prior interview<\/a> with Vanity Fair, Sorkin explained that Eisenberg didn&#8217;t want to return to the role because &#8220;he simply did not want to be conflated with Mark Zuckerberg anymore (and) that he has his problems with the guy.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeremy Strong instead plays Zuckerberg in &#8220;The Social Reckoning,&#8221; which releases to theaters Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-the-wrap-read-more\">\n\t<div class=\"the-wrap-read-more__container\">\n\t\t<a class=\"the-wrap-read-more__image\"\n\t\t\thref=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/creative-content\/movies\/aaron-sorkin-david-fincher-first-choice-social-reckoning\/\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=300&amp;height=169&amp;fit=bounds\" class=\"attachment-medium size-medium\" alt=\"David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin in 2010 (Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=300&amp;height=169&amp;fit=bounds 300w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=768&amp;height=432&amp;fit=bounds 768w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=1024&amp;height=576&amp;fit=bounds 1024w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=320&amp;height=180&amp;fit=bounds 320w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=640&amp;height=360&amp;fit=bounds 640w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=380&amp;height=214&amp;fit=bounds 380w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=760&amp;height=428&amp;fit=bounds 760w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=394&amp;height=222&amp;fit=bounds 394w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=788&amp;height=444&amp;fit=bounds 788w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=778&amp;height=438&amp;fit=bounds 778w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=976&amp;height=549&amp;fit=bounds 976w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=990&amp;height=557&amp;fit=bounds 990w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg?width=1200&amp;height=675&amp;fit=bounds 1200w, https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/FincherSorkin2010.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" data-portal-copyright=\"TheWrap\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"1\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<div class=\"the-wrap-read-more__headline\">\n\t\t\t<strong>Read Next<\/strong><br \/>\n\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/creative-content\/movies\/aaron-sorkin-david-fincher-first-choice-social-reckoning\/\">Aaron Sorkin Confesses David Fincher Was His First Choice to Direct &#039;The Social Reckoning&#039;<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;The Social Network&#8221; star allowed the filmmaker to try to convince him to return<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10256,"featured_media":8090144,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"byline":{"profiles":[{"type":"byline_id","atts":{"term_id":516597,"post_id":8044827}}]},"_links_to":"","_links_to_type":0,"nb_breaking_email_type":"","nb_breaking_template":"","nb_breaking_from_name":"","nb_breaking_subject":"","nb_breaking_preview":"","nb_breaking_list":[],"nb_breaking_header_img":0,"nb_breaking_should_send":false,"nb_breaking_content":"","nb_newsletter_sent_breaking_post_id":[],"apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-10-03T20:07:15Z","apple_news_api_id":"9051317a-42e4-4bbf-a365-2eea54454c7a","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-10-03T20:07:15Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAD\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/w==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AkFExekLkS7-jZS7qVEVMeg","apple_news_cover_media_provider":"image","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_cover_video_id":0,"apple_news_cover_video_url":"","apple_news_cover_embedwebvideo_url":"","apple_news_is_hidden":"","apple_news_is_paid":"","apple_news_is_preview":"","apple_news_is_sponsored":"","apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"hide_featured_image":false,"the_wrap_post_enable_full_width_featured_image":false,"the_wrap_post_enable_featured_video":false,"the_wrap_post_featured_video":"","the_wrap_post_disable_read_more":false,"wp_curate_deduplication":false,"wp_curate_unique_pinned_posts":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[4287,2908,513420],"tw_data_partners":[],"columns":[],"byline":[516597],"class_list":["post-8090135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movies","tag-aaron_sorkin","tag-jesse_eisenberg","tag-the-social-reckoning"],"newsletter_builder_byline":"J. Kim Murphy","is_pro_article":false,"apple_news_notices":[],"eyebrow":{"link":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/creative-content\/movies\/","text":"Movies"},"tw_schema_org_review":{"name":"","type":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8090135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10256"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8090135"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8090135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8090211,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8090135\/revisions\/8090211"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8090144"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8090135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8090135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8090135"},{"taxonomy":"tw_data_partners","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tw_data_partners?post=8090135"},{"taxonomy":"tw_column","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/columns?post=8090135"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=8090135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}