22 unknown facts about the film “The Social Network,” which Mark Zuckerberg once even praised (12 photos + 2 videos)

The film tells the story of the creation of one of the most popular social networks on the Internet - Facebook.





1. Few people know that the film’s script was written in the wake of the book by Ben Metzrich (sometimes his last name is translated as Mezrich) “The Reluctant Billionaires: How Facebook was Created, a Story of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal,” released in 2009.

2. During his career, Metzrich published 12 books, two of which were filmed. Moreover, both were initiated by Kevin Spacey, who acted as an executive producer in The Social Network, and also performed one of the roles in the film Twenty-One.



3. As often happens, the idea of writing a book about Facebook appeared by accident. Metzrich received an email from a Harvard senior (from which Metzrich himself graduated in 1991) with a story about the unknown creator of a social network. Fascinated by the idea, he met Eduardo Saverin, who gladly dumped everything he had accumulated. Mark Zuckerberg himself never met the author of the book, considering that his work did not deserve attention.

3.1. Ben Metzrich thinks the film portrayed Zuckerberg as "a little more of an asshole than in the book."

3.2. Zuckerberg did watch “Network” and his only comment was that the film accurately depicted his style of dressing. Indeed, Eisenberg’s clothes were chosen based on public photographs of Zuckerberg.





4. Sean Parker, when asked how the film corresponds to reality, answered that, of course, it was rocking then, but not that much. Parker also recalled that Justin Timberlake tried to get to know him in order to better fit into the role. He refused the actor, saying that acquaintance would not help, since Parker in Aaron Sorkin’s script had nothing to do with the present.

5. During one of the preliminary hearings, Divya Narendra (Max Minghella), the Winklevoss brothers' partner, says, "Mark has become the most popular man at Harvard, beating out 19 Nobel laureates, 15 Pulitzer winners, two future Olympians and a movie star." Zuckerberg’s lawyer asks the question “Who is our movie star?”, but does not receive an answer. This movie star is Natalie Portman (real name Neta-Lee Herschlag).



6. It was Portman (also a 2003 Harvard graduate) who helped Aaron Sorkin in every possible way in the process of writing the script and even threw a big dinner party for this, inviting him to it

many famous alumni to introduce Sorkin to the inner workings of Harvard.

7. Jesse Eisenberg is diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. This circumstance brought the performance of the role to the brink of the impossible: the actor admitted that it was damn difficult for him to express his character’s thoughts well and quickly.

8. The soundtrack to the film was written by Nine Inch Nails leader Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. This isn't Reznor and Fincher's first collaboration: Seven features a remix of "Closer" during the opening credits, plus guess who directed the video for "Only."



8.1. Reznor and Atticus have won Oscars twice for their film collaborations: in 2011 for The Social Network and in 2021 for Soul.

9. The Winklevoss brothers were played by Armie Hammer. Fincher later admitted that “multiplying” the actor into two people in one frame was one of the most difficult special effects in the film. Hammer's double, who gave the body to the second twin, was Joshua Pence.

9.1. And yet, once the viewer can see the “whole” Pence :) Remember the scene in the bar when Eduardo and Mark ask a random visitor to delay visiting the toilet room, citing the fact that “the girls are powdering their nose.”



10. The manager with whom Mark and Eduardo communicate at Morrison Gage Advertising was played by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.



11. Facebook hits the million user mark at the 1:46:46 mark of the film. Therefore 1,000,046.

12. Zuckerberg never forgot to pick up Saverin from the airport. This scene was specially rewritten to add tragedy to the relationship between the Facebook founders.

13. For the role of Sean Parker, Justin Timberlake lost 7 kg.

14. In the film, the top Facebook banner features a stylized image of Jesse Eisenberg. Al Pacino was actually there.





15. Of course, there was no Erica Albright and in general Zuckerberg is a decent family man who in 2003, at the age of 19, met his future wife Priscilla Chan. They are still married and have three daughters.

16. Zuckerberg arrives for a “pajama” business meeting with Parker’s former partners to the music of the band ‘N Sync, in which Timberlake used to be a member.

17. During Mark and Eduardo's last meeting at the Facebook office, Jesse Eisenberg is wearing an Arm & Hammer T-shirt. On the one hand, this reflects reality (see photo below). On the other hand, it’s a wonderful coincidence that Armand Hammer, the great-grandfather of the actor who played the Winklevoss twins, was actually on the company’s Board of Directors.



18. The total duration of the footage was 268 hours. In 4K resolution, the material occupied about 40 terabytes.

19. For the famous scene “Get your lawyers ready, you bastard!” it took 40 takes. Respect to Andrew Garfield! It turned out great!