Sorkin says $15 million gross revealed he lacks visual instinct for film

The Social Reckoning has earned only $15 million in worldwide ticket sales. The figure stands in sharp contrast to the film's $40 million production budget. Aaron Sorkin, who wrote the movie and directed it for the first time since 2021, called the box office result disappointing. The film received a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, a lower reception than audiences granted his earlier work. Sorkin spoke about these figures during an interview at the Newport Beach Film Festival last week. He was there to receive the Maverick Director Award.

The film depicts the internal knowledge of Facebook regarding its effects on society. It stars Mikey Madison as a whistleblower and Jeremy Allen White as a journalist. Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg. Sorkin noted that he was the second choice to direct the project. He explained that David Fincher, who directed the 2010 film The Social Network, was unavailable due to a contract with Netflix. The project was owned by Sony. Sorkin said he would have preferred Fincher to helm the camera work.

In the interview, Sorkin discussed the specific challenges of his role behind the lens. He stated that he was surprised by how little he understood about the science of filmmaking. He admitted that he has no visual sensibility. This lack of instinct, he argued, is the hardest part of directing to master. He compared the situation to screenwriting, where some skills can be taught but talent cannot. Sorkin said he is worried that his weaknesses in directing fall into the category of unlearnable talent.

The 65-year-old screenwriter has written films for 35 years. His credits include A Few Good Men, The American President, and Charlie Wilson's War. He won Academy Awards and Golden Globes for writing The Social Network and Steve Jobs. However, his recent directing efforts have drawn criticism. He directed Molly's Game, The Trial of the Chicago 7, and Being the Ricardos before this latest release. Sorkin said he feels like a newcomer to the industry, despite his long career. He described the learning curve as steeper than he anticipated, particularly regarding the use of the camera.

Sorkin compared his experience to football coaches who claim all elements for a win were present but did not align. He believes he has done things right along the way. He asked for one more chance to put all the pieces together. He emphasized that he is not done wanting to work with other directors. He said he learned a great deal from working with Rob Reiner, Fincher, Bennett Miller, Mike Nichols, and Danny Boyle. He added that the learning process has been difficult but ongoing.

During the same podcast recording, Sorkin discussed the future of the mid-range budget movie. He said that of his 11 films, only A Few Good Men would likely be a feature film today. He suggested the others would now be streaming productions. He also mentioned a new Lincoln Center revival of his play A Few Good Men. He said he is rewriting the script because he was very young when he first wrote it. He described the current production as distinct from the original Broadway run. He noted he is working on the project clean and sober.