As you probably guessed, talk of Michael Cera and Shia LeBeouf in the lead roles of the upcoming Facebook movie “The Social Network,” written by Aaron Sorkin, are likely premature says Kevin Spacey, who is one of the producers on the project.
Then again, he might not be the best source as he apparently doesn’t read the trade news or know what’s going on within his own camp (slightly forgiven because he is busy promoting his new indie, “Shrink”).
“I can’t imagine anyone’s ready for it because we haven’t really announced the director — have we announced the director? — no, we haven’t announced the director yet,” he said in an MTV interview, asking a nearby publicist for confirmation. “So I don’t think anyone’s ready for it. Maybe in their fantasy they’ve auditioned for it.”
Will David Fincher direct as rumored? He’s apparently been in talks. All Spacey will say is, “I think we are close to announcing a director.”
Shooting in 2009? It’s possible. “We’re at a very early stage,” he said, “but I think it’s on the fast track. I think the film — they want to do it and maybe even do it this year. So it’s gonna happen. But I have no clue as to who may be in it, because ultimately that will be [up to] the director.”
As we hinted at it in one piece we wrote, we weren’t really all that impressed with “The Social Network” script; it’s far too long, filled with privileged, status-obsessed Harvard brats and there’s no one to really root for. Mark Zuckerberg, the kid that invented Facebook, is the film’s protagonist, but he’s a totally unlikeable douche. Not that every film needs a likable main character, but this doesn’t seem to be as effective of a story as, say, “Shattered Glass,” which also featured a young, dubiously-motivated young man. Those are obviously incomplete thoughts, but it’s a quick scan of how we felt after we read it. The flashback laden film, mostly set in two court rooms, is not really half as engaging as some of the reports will have made you believe – nor is it all that dramatic.
The gist of the story? Zuckerberg launched an online empire (Facebook) from his dorm room at Harvard and four fellow students claim he stole their idea. So money, genius, betrayal seems to be the tag line, but it’s not as intriguing as it sounds. Also: Shawn Fanning Sean Parker from Napster plays a fairly significant role in the second half of the story, which is kind of funny just to think about (will they also need to secure life rights from him or will they have to invent a new character that is like him?)