Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning Opens to $5.5 Million, Below Forecast

Aaron Sorkin’s The Social Reckoning is projected to earn just $5.5 million domestically in its opening weekend, missing the studio’s $7 million to $8 million forecast, according to Sunday box office estimates reported by Variety.

The debut falls well short of The Social Network, which opened with $22 million in 2010 and ultimately earned $97 million domestically. Directed by David Fincher, the original also won Sorkin an Academy Award for his screenplay and became a defining Hollywood portrayal of Facebook’s founding.

Why The Social Reckoning Faces a Different Audience

While the original explored Facebook’s early growth, The Social Reckoning follows whistleblower Frances Haugen’s decision to disclose internal company documents known as the Facebook Files. The story examines controversies surrounding Facebook’s algorithms, internal practices and congressional scrutiny.

The darker subject matter arrives alongside mixed critical reviews, giving it a different reception than the acclaimed original. However, the available box office figures do not show whether the film’s themes, reviews, or changing moviegoing habits drove its weaker debut.

The theatrical market has also changed significantly since 2010. A Pew Research Centre study published in March found that movie theatre attendance remains more common among younger American adults than those 65 and older, highlighting differences in moviegoing habits across age groups.

Hollywood Turns Its Attention to Technology Leaders

Sorkin’s film arrives during a fall season featuring several productions about prominent technology executives and corporate controversies. The releases reflect Hollywood’s interest in portraying powerful tech leaders through dramas and documentaries.

Alex Gibney’s nearly four-hour documentary Musk, which examines Elon Musk, also opened over the weekend, earning about $69,000 across four theatres. The film is expected to expand its theatrical release in the coming weeks, with a subsequent streaming release planned for HBO Max.

Nathan Fielder’s unconventional Elizabeth Holmes documentary, You Can See Everything, arrives the following weekend. Another production, Artificial, examines the leadership drama surrounding OpenAI and secured a new distributor after Amazon dropped the project, with Neon taking over distribution.

The trend extends to streaming television. Netflix is preparing The Altruists, a series scheduled for November that follows Sam Bankman-Fried and the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX.