The Social Network | Behind-The-Scenes The Social Network was directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, based on Ben Mezrich’s nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires. Columbia Pictures handled distribution. Casting was announced in mid-2009, with Jesse Eisenberg portraying Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg. Supporting roles were filled by Andrew Garfield and Justin Timberlake. Principal photography began in October 2009, with Harvard University exteriors recreated using location