Aaron Sorkin’s ‘Social Reckoning’ is off to a weak start

Key Points:

• Aaron Sorkin’s film “The Social Reckoning” is projected to make only $5.5 million domestically this weekend, falling short of the studio’s $7-8 million estimate and far below the $22 million opening of Sorkin’s earlier hit “The Social Network.”
• Unlike the original film’s focus on Facebook’s early, dramatic days, “The Social Reckoning” centers on whistleblower Frances Haugen and the Facebook files, resulting in a darker, heavier tone that may appeal less to broad audiences.
• The film’s lukewarm reviews and changing theatrical landscape, coupled with shifting audience interests toward topics like AI, contribute to its underperformance at the box office.
• Other tech-related films opening or upcoming include Alex Gibney’s “Musk,” which earned $69,000 in limited release, Nathan Fielder’s Elizabeth Holmes documentary, and the OpenAI drama “Artificial,” highlighting a growing trend of movies about controversial tech figures.
• Streaming platforms like HBO Max and Netflix are expected to play a key role in reaching wider audiences for these documentaries, as seen with “Musk” and the upcoming Netflix series “The Altruists” about Sam Bankman-Fried and FTX.