Jeremy Strong stars as Mark Zuckerberg in Aaron Sorkin film The Social Reckoning

Jeremy Strong takes on the role of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning, a new film project written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. According to reporting from outlets including The Guardian and AOL, this cinematic outing serves as a sequel to the David Fincher-directed film The Social Network. Cultural observers note that the original film has only come to seem more canny over time, with the site co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg being held responsible for all manner of social ills. In this sequel from Aaron Sorkin (this time directing and writing) based on the incidents around the 2021 leak of internal Facebook memos, Zuck is embodied not by Jesse Eisenberg but Jeremy Strong.

Alongside Sorkin's feature, audiences navigating the cultural calendar are met with a diverse array of major entertainment options spanning film, television, stage, and music. Paul Greengrass (United 93) tackles the 1381 peasants’ revolt, a fracas caused partly by the decision to introduce a new tax of four pence per person, regardless of whether you were in the greedy elite or a worker who might make about £2 in a whole year. Heading up the rebels with a cause are Andrew Garfield and Cosmo Jarvis. Meanwhile, horror fans can view Other Mommy, a Blumhouse horror directed by Rob Savage (Dashcam). An adaptation of Josh Malerman’s creepy 2024 novel, Incidents Around the House.

Media additions

Television and streaming platforms offer further dramatic narratives. Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1883 novel – responsible for creating the pirate caricature of the popular imagination – was first adapted for television 75 years ago. This new version stars David Oyelowo, Jack Huston, and Hayley Atwell as Bess Hawkins, who helps her son Jim in his hunt for fabled riches. This mind-boggling spin-off of 2021’s WandaVision rejoins Paul Bettany’s ex-Avenger Vision as he tries to understand what it means to be an android. James Spader co-stars as his maker, the villainous AI Ultron. The bracing, brutal prison drama returns for series three, this time shifting focus to disturbed teens locked up in a young offenders institute. Siobhan Finneran reprises her role as a disenchanted chaplain, while David Tennant joins the cast as a custodial manager at the end of his tether. An expat Syrian academic sees a video of a civilian massacre in Damascus and uses social media to track down the chief perpetrator; she then poses as Anna, a regime sympathiser, to encourage him to reveal details about his work in this remarkable documentary about vigilantism in the digital age.

The stage and art sectors are equally active across the UK. Autumn is the season when all the stage stars come to play in the West End – and there are none bigger than Kristin Scott Thomas, who stars alongside Stephen Mangan in Chekhov’s richly rewarding final play. Nina Raine has adapted George Eliot’s exquisite novel into a play in two parts, directed by Jeremy Herrin – who is so good at injecting ambitious shows with shape and purpose. Nia Towle plays Dorothea Brooke alongside Amanda Root, playing both George Eliot and matchmaker Mrs Cadwallader. Regional and international arts events also feature prominently, including the Frieze art fair in Regent's Park, the 50th anniversary festival of the 606 Club in West London celebrating its 50th anniversary over a fortnight, with star guests including Jamie Cullum (13 Oct), Gwilym Simcock (15 Oct), and many trailblazers of UK jazz. Founded and run by saxophonist Steve Rubie, “The Six” is as devoted to good music as it’s ever been, and the Oxford international song festival An ambitious local event turned major international fixture, this festival celebrates 25 seasons with big-name performances on the theme of love. Highlights include baritone Matthias Goerne and pianist Tamara Stefanovich in Schubert’s Winterreise (10 Oct), and songs by György Kurtág from baritone Benjamin Appl and pianist James Baillieu (Mon).

Music touring schedules are robust, featuring the Scottish duo Arab Strap returned last month with their ninth album Half-Told Tales, and Turkish sextet were created via a TV singing competition. They also share some of their musical DNA, with Manifest’s brightly hued songs bubbling like a sugary soft drink. Support on this debut arena show comes from UK girl band newcomers XO. As autumn programming continues, reviewers and cultural commentators will track the reception of Aaron Sorkin's film alongside these concurrent theatrical, television, and artistic releases.