Sony hires external lawyers to fact-check Sorkin’s Meta biopic amid legal threats
Aaron Sorkin said Sony enlisted an outside law firm to verify every fact in its upcoming Meta-focused film, fearing lawsuits from the company.
During an appearance on one outlet’ “The Interview” podcast, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin disclosed that Sony Pictures hired an outside law firm to scrutinize every factual element of its new movie “The Social Reckoning.” The studio took this step after receiving letters from Meta, which Sorkin described as far from wishing them luck, and because the tech giant possesses “limitless resources” to pursue litigation.
He noted the irony of fact-checking a film about a company that itself avoids such scrutiny. The drama dramatizes the 2021 Facebook data leak disclosed by former employee Frances Haugen, whose testimony highlighted the platform’s harmful effects. The cast includes Jeremy Strong as Mark Zuckerberg, Mikey Madison as Haugen, and Jeremy Allen White as journalist Jeff Horwitz. Sorkin emphasized the extensive research behind the project, even as he transforms real figures into fictionalized characters.
Why it matters
It shows how powerful tech firms can shape media portrayals by prompting studios to rigorously verify facts.
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