While doing press rounds for the abysmal-looking comedy The Three Stooges, co-director Peter Farrelly told ComingSoon that they’re looking to begin production on a sequel to their 1994 hit Dumb and Dumber this September. This could be good news for fans of the original who were disappointed with Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, since the Farrelly Brothers didn’t have anything to do with that film. More details about their upcoming sequel after the jump.

Here’s what Farrelly told ComingSoon:

We’re getting set to shoot ‘Dumb and Dumber 2′ in September,” he says. ”It’s the first sequel we’ve ever done and we’ve got Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels back…“We did not do ‘Dumb and Dumberer,’” he continues. ”That was a studio thing. So we’ve always wanted to do a sequel and finally Jim called up. Jeff always wanted to do it. We always wanted to do it. Jim was busy, but he called and said, ‘We’ve got to do this thing again.’ He had just watched ‘Dumb and Dumber’ and he said, ‘This is the perfect sequel. Let’s do it.’”

So there you have it: confirmation that they’ve locked down both Carrey and Daniels, which is everything the fans have wanted since the original film’s release. For me, the most surprising thing isn’t that Jim Carrey wants to do it, it’s that Jeff Daniels would be willing to do it now that he’s starring in a brand new show called “The Newsroom” for Aaron Sorkin on HBO. So those of you who can’t get enough Jeff Daniels, here’s your fix until the still-untitled Dumb and Dumber sequel hits theaters, probably sometime in 2013.

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A few weeks ago, following the death of Apple Co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs, Sony acquired the movie rights to an authorised biography by CNN chairman and Time Magazine managing editor Walter Isaacson who interviewed Jobs 40 times over the space of two years. Isaacson also interviewed family members, friends, colleagues and fans.

Mark Gordon (Saving Private Ryan) is producing, and in their search for a screenwriter Sony has gone for an obvious choice. Aaron Sorkin, writer of The Social Network and Moneyball.

The L.A Times says Sorkin is “considering the prospect”, but he is just “one of the writers being courted by producers”. Sorkin actually knew Steve Jobs, which could make him decide against writing the movie, or he could take it on in memory of the Apple co-founder.

The biography, which was published October 24, is described as “a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur, whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionised six industries – personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing and digital publishing”.

As well as co-founding Apple Steve Jobs also served as chief executive of Pixar Animation Studios and became a member of the board of directors of The Walt Disney Company in 2006, following the acquisition of Pixar by Disney. Jobs actually asked Sorkin to write a Pixar movie but he declined, saying he couldn’t “make inanimate objects talk.” Perhaps he’ll find writing a movie about Jobs himself a little easier.

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If the phrase “inside baseball” was ever used to describe a film, this would be the movie in question – and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Moneyball (based on Michael Lewis’ 2003 book of the same name) chronicles the story of Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and his unorthodox attempts to create a championship team with far less money than his competitors. In a way, the film itself is just as unorthodox as Beane’s methods; we expect certain elements from this genre, but director Bennett Miller gives us a new angle to consider. Through good performances, a detailed script, and a fresh perspective, the movie tells an intriguing story of two men who went against the tides of baseball history and changed the game forever.

When teams with more money start poaching Billy Beane’s players for themselves, Beane literally can’t afford to compete on their level. During a potential trade meeting with the Cleveland Indians, Beane meets Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), a Yale graduate who studied economics and has a different approach to rebuilding than Beane’s over-the-hill scout staff. Beane adopts the youngster’s philosophy and hires him as the new Assistant General Manager of the Athletics, much to the chagrin of his older co-workers. Much of the movie is steeped in the age-old “technology vs. human instinct” theme, but while most films take the human approach in this argument, Moneyball champions facts over intuition.

Moneyball successfully turns the sports genre on its head by exposing audiences to the detailed inner workings of a Major League Baseball team. Beane’s acquisition of Peter is far more valuable than that of any one player, and for the purposes of this movie, the players on the field aren’t nearly as important as the key “players” off the field. It’s easy to hear co-writer Aaron Sorkin’s influence in the dialogue, especially evident in a labyrinthine trade deal that comes midway through the film. It’s smart and lightning quick at times, reminiscent of portions of Sorkin’s Oscar-winning Best Adapted Screenplay from last year, The Social Network. Throughout the movie, we’re shown flashbacks of Beane’s days as a player and we see the effects his past has on him in the present time. The editing was sharp and effective, only concerned with the interesting aspects of the story and wisely breezing over sections that didn’t need to be explored in depth on film.

This is clearly a Brad Pitt vehicle, and I’m already hearing some whispers of Oscar potential surrounding his performance. I think this is some of his best work in recent years, and though I don’t quite agree that he’s deserving of an Oscar for this particular performance, I thought he was…aggressively good. Not breathtaking, but still the kind of quality work that you expect from an A-lister. His supporting cast was impressive as well, with really solid work from Jonah Hill and small roles for Philip Seymour Hoffman as the embattled coach and Chris Pratt from “Parks and Recreation” as a catcher-turned-first-baseman. Beane’s daughter is played by Kerris Dorsey (a spitting image of a young Katey Rich, friend of The Not Just New Movies podcast), an actress with a bright future who provides the muse for Pitt’s character as he struggles through decisions late in the movie.

If you're a sports buff, you may know how this story ends before you see Moneyball’s opening credits. But I didn’t know how it would play out and it captivated me, so I won’t get into the specifics of the ending here. I wonder, though: because I grew up playing baseball, much of this movie was easy for me to comprehend, but would someone who’s never played or studied the game have the same appreciation that I do? Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think, regardless of your personal history with baseball. Until next time…

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The Academy Awards are less than a week away and all the other major awards shows have made their opinions known; it is time for final predictions to be made. Here is my mildly self-indulgent Oscar predictions list.

Best Picture:
Let’s start with the big one. A month ago I would have said (and I believe I did say) that The Social Network had this one in the bag. I was wrong. The Facebook film has lost most of its Best Picture buzz in the last few weeks and The King’s Speech has taken over top spot, crushing the competition at the BAFTAs last week. With any luck this momentum shift hasn’t come too late and The King’s Speech will take home the prize. It all depends on how many stubborn Academy voters are still clinging to The Social Network’s bandwagon.  If it were up to me Inception would reign victorious, with Black Swan and Toy Story 3 as the other top contenders. Unfortunately for me (and Christopher Nolan) the Academy didn’t ask for my opinion.

Official Prediction: The King’s Speech

Best Documentary Feature:
I’ll be honest – I haven’t seen all the documentary nominees and it’s not a category that develops a lot of discussion. This year there just isn’t a Bowling for Columbine or March of the Penguins to create huge buzz. However, based on what I’ve seen so far this awards season, only one of the nominees has been a regular presence: Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Official Prediction: Exit Through the Gift Shop

Best Foreign Language Film:
Like the documentary category, there hasn’t been a huge Foreign Language standout either.  Biutiful probably has the best shot, as it has consistently been nominated this season. Also, it is the only nominee with a nomination in another category (Javier Bardem’s Best Actor nom), which will likely give it more credit in the eyes of Academy voters. Still, I won’t be surprised of the Canadian drama, Incendies, wins instead.

Official Prediction: Biutiful

Best Supporting Actor:
Up until the BAFTAs Christian Bale had won almost every single Supporting Actor trophy he could find for his role in The Fighter. And for good reason. Bale is well-known for his astonishing physical transformations (see The Machinist), and The Fighter is no exception. Any trace of Bruce Wayne is gone and Bale’s acting totally immerses you in the character of Dickie Ecklund. However, Geoffrey Rush, who pulled off a phenomenal performance in The King’s Speech has been a consistent nominee this season, and was finally rewarded at the BAFTAs. His win may be partly attributed to the BAFTA’s favoritism toward British films and the strong momentum The King’s Speech has been gaining. Whatever the reason, Rush’s win makes him a viable contender for the statuette. The other three nominees, while all putting forth incredible performances, don’t have the buzz or the critical reception surrounding them to garner a victory.

Official Prediction: Christian Bale (The Fighter)

Best Supporting Actress:
This category has been a delightfully unpredictable crapshoot this year. No single nominee has stood out above the pack. The momentum of The King’s Speech might propel Helena Bonham Carter toward a win, especially after her BAFTA victory, although I hope that won’t be the case.  Jacki Weaver (The Animal Kingdom) had some decent buzz early in the awards season, but it has mostly faded away. Hailee Steinfeld, the True Grit darling, has a decent shot since the Academy loves the Coen brothers and has a history of favoring young actresses in this category. Where we are mostly likely to see a win, however, is from The Fighter duo – Melissa Leo and Amy Adams. Both of them have been ubiquitous this year (minus a couple notable snubs – I’m looking at you BAFTAs) and the fact that there are two nominations from the same movie adds clout to their chances. Melissa Leo has been the stronger nominee, winning a Golden Globe and a number of other awards, so I’m placing my bets on her.

Official Prediction: Melissa Leo (The Fighter)

Best Animated Feature:
Toy Story 3, hands down. I’ll be stunned and horrified if anything else wins. I liked How To Train Your Dragon and The Illusionist has a cool retro thing going on, but they just don’t compare to Pixar’s latest gem. Don’t believe me? The fact that it’s the only nominee in this category that also has a Best picture nomination should convince you.

Official Prediction: Toy Story 3

Best Adapted Screenplay:
While The Social Network has been losing some serious Best Picture momentum, Aaron Sorkin has not lost any for his script. He has won at the WGAs, the BAFTAs, the Golden Globes, the Scripters, and too many more to mention. Even in awards where there is only one screenplay prize (like the Globes, where they don’t split original and adapted screenplays), Sorkin has won.

Official Prediction: Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network)

Best Original Screenplay:
The only reason any of these nominees has a chance is because The Social Network is in the other category. That being said, the battle is likely between David Seidler (The King’s Speech) and Christopher Nolan (Inception). Nolan is in contention purely due to his WGA win – the WGA’s strict eligibility restrictions prevented Seidler from being nominated, which left the field wide open for Nolan to step in. The fact is, however, that Seidler has the upper hand at the Oscars thanks to his huge number of other wins.

Official Prediction: David Seidler (The King’s Speech)

Best Actor:
This one shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Colin Firth has been cleaning up this category right from the beginning. His performance as King George VI in The King’s Speech is about as close to flawless as you’re going to find. In another year we might have seen a younger actor like James Franco (127 Hours) or Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) take home the top prize. Javier Bardem (Biutiful) and Jeff Bridges (True Grit) have both received honors recently, so the Academy shouldn’t feel obligated to snub Firth in order to honor them.

Official Prediction: Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Best Actress:
Earlier on this season this was actually a tight race. Both Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right) and Natalie Portman (Black Swan) came strong out of the gate. Since then, however, Bening has all but disappeared off the radar and Portman has continued to soar. I like to think that this is because people have good taste. The other three nominees shouldn’t pose much of a threat. The only way I can see Natalie Portman losing is if a whole bunch of Academy voters decide Annette Bening is too long overdue for a win.

Official Prediction: Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Best Director:
This one might be a bit of a heads or tails call. Personally, I’d scrap all five nominees and hand the award to Christopher Nolan (Inception). Unfortunately, the Academy won’t allow me to do that. Trust me, I asked. The Best Director race looks like it has come down to Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech) and David Fincher (The Social Network), which is more or less a reflection of the Best Picture race. The Academy has a long history of giving Best Director and Best Picture to the same movie. In fact, in the last 30 years, the Best Picture has won Best Director 24 times. Similarly, the Directors Guild of America award has been nearly perfect in predicting the Best Director Oscar, only missing the mark six times since its inception over six decades ago. In light of the fact that The King’s Speech is the Best Picture frontrunner and Tom Hooper won the DGA award, it would seem that he is the one to beat. But Fincher has continued to snag directing awards even when The Social Network loses the Best Picture category (ie. at the BAFTAs).  Fincher also has the “long overdue” card in his hand, having directed films like The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fight Club, and Se7en, whereas before The King’s Speech Hooper was almost exclusively a TV director. It’ll be close, but I expect Fincher will end up getting love from ol’ Oscar.

Official Prediction: David Fincher (The Social Network)

All of those other minor/technical awards:
I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m an expert on sound editing or sound mixing (or even really understand the difference between the two) or any of the other minor/technical awards. I expect that Inception will walk away with a number of them (the rotating hallway scene alone should give it the Visual Effects award) and Alice in Wonderland is looking good for the Costume Design statuette. The Social Network’s musical score (by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) looks to be the front runner in that category, and my makeup artist mother says that Barney’s Version should nab the makeup award.

The 83rd Academy Awards will be held on Sunday, February 27 and will be hosted by James Franco and Anne Hathaway. You can see all the nominees here and feel free to make your own predictions in the comments section below!

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The British Academy of Film and Television Arts displayed their unabashed favoritism toward British films this Sunday by showering The King’s Speech with seven awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Colin Firth. The biggest surprise is probably the fact that Tom Hooper did not grab the directing prize after his DGA win. Instead, he watched David Fincher (The Social Network) walk away with that one.

The other huge shocker was Christian Bale’s (The Fighter) Supporting Actor loss to Geoffrey Rush (The King’s Speech). Bale has swept almost every single Supporting Actor prize, big and small, this awards season, so it was unexpected to have him go home empty handed, especially this close to the Academy Awards. I truly hope it doesn’t hurt his chances at an Oscar win.

The King’s Speech also nabbed the Supporting Actress award for Helena Bonham Carter’s performance as Queen Elizabeth. It makes me wonder if the BAFTAs would have blindly given The King’s Speech the Best Actress prize too, had there been a nominee.

Most of the rest of the awards were predictable: Darren Aronofsky (director of Black Swan) accepted Natalie Portman’s Best Actress award (she’s super pregnant and didn’t attend the ceremony); Aaron Sorkin was honored for The Social Network’s Adapted Screenplay; Toy Story 3, of course, won Best Animated Film; and Inception was given three of those awards that nobody is very interested in (Sound, Production Design, and Special Visual Effects).

It’ll be interesting to see how much of an impact the BAFTAs have on the Academy Awards. You can see the full list of BAFTA nominees and winners here.

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Christopher Nolan and Aaron Sorkin were the big winners at Saturday night’s Writers Guild of America awards. Nolan grabbed the Original Screenplay prize, finally receiving recognition for his mind-bending Inception script. Sorkin added another Adapted Screenplay trophy to his wall for The Social Network.

These results have almost no bearing on Oscar buzz, however, as many of the top contenders were disqualified by the WGA’s strict eligibility requirements – Original Screenplay frontrunner David Seidler (The King’s Speech) for example.

The Social Network, which won this year’s USC Libraries Scripter award on Friday night, still has the best shot of winning Adapted Screenplay at the Academy Awards, but will face stiffer competition from the likes of Toy Story 3 and Winter’s Bone, which were ineligible for the WGAs.

Personally, I’d like to see upsets in both categories at the Oscars and have Inception and Toy Story 3 walk away with the statuettes.  Perhaps Nolan’s WGA win will propel him toward a win. One can hope.

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When I first heard whispers of a Facebook movie going into development, I couldn’t have been more disinterested. I’m not terribly familiar with Aaron Sorkin’s work outside of A Few Good Men and Malice, and though David Fincher has directed some solid movies (The Game, Se7en), he’s never been one of my favorite filmmakers. But after seeing an exceptional trailer and finally seeing the film, I can promise you this is not an eye roll-inducing “trying too hard” desperation stab at cultural relevancy. It’s not a “too soon” effort to capitalize on the popularity of Facebook, and it’s not a boring movie that’s merely about the creation of the site itself. Then what is it? The Social Network is a damn good movie that borders on brilliant.

The film’s opening scene features rapid-fire dialogue that begins even before the Columbia logo fades from the screen and continues for a solid five minutes without stopping. The two characters, Mark Zuckerberg (Eisenberg) and his girlfriend Erica* (Rooney Mara) are constantly questioning each other and their place in the conversation since they each move past elements so quickly it’s impossible for the other to keep up. But this scene isn’t written for the gimmick of having fast-talking young actors sitting across from each other (Diablo Cody, take note.) It’s a microcosm of one of the film’s many themes: members of the “I want it now” generation can quickly and easily get themselves into trouble by speaking too quickly without thinking, and, while undoubtedly stylized beyond a certain level of realism, this scene presents that idea as it simultaneously sets up the personality of our apparent protagonist.

This “blog first, ask questions later” mentality is touched upon (and frowned upon) many times in the movie, which also deals with some larger issues like where the line is drawn for intellectual property theft, corporate ethics, and the personal conflicts that arise when friends are in business together. Fincher himself jokingly referred to the film as “the Citizen Kane of John Hughes movies,” but there have been some people who have taken that phrase to heart, actually comparing The Social Network to the movie widely considered the greatest film ever made. (I even scoffed at this notion before seeing the film.) But it’s possible I was too rash with that dismissal; after seeing the movie, it might be safe to call The Social Network the Citizen Kane for the modern generation. Structurally, the film takes elements from Kane, including a great flashback framing device involving Zuckerberg being sued by two separate plaintiffs at the same time, as well as the more simple plot component of charting the rise and fall of a wealthy young entrepreneur. There’s also a bit of a “Rosebud” feel to the ending, which I won’t get into here.

Based on Ben Mezrich’s book “The Accidental Billionaires,” The Social Network obviously takes some liberties with the supposed real life portrayals of situations, people, and events. That brings up an entirely different set of questions, mostly regarding how ethical it is to craft a film that portrays its lead character – a real person still living and working, mind you – in a less-than-flattering light and passing it off as potentially more fact than fiction. I will cry no tears for the real life Zuckerberg as he basks in his billionaire status, but if I were him I wouldn’t be thrilled with my on-screen portrayal.

Regardless, Sorkin and Fincher have taken a story that involves a lot of seemingly boring things – computer coding, general nerdiness, and corporate business – and flipped it into a compelling drama that plays at breakneck speed. There is so much more weight to this story than similar internet “rise and fall” films; the 2008 Josh Hartnett vehicle August is a good example of a movie that attempts to capture the same importance that The Social Network provides, but, because the latter makes it look so easy, ultimately fails in comparison.

Jesse Eisenberg, an actor many have dubbed the poor man’s Michael Cera, delivers a star-making performance as Zuckerberg, the egotistical creator – and alleged thief – of Facebook. I think the Cera comparisons can stop here: I’ve never seen Cera give this level of dramatic performance, and I think Eisenberg clearly steps out of that “awkward guy” shadow and into a spotlight all his own. He dominates every scene with the lawyers, vocally destroying one who questions if Mark has “his full attention.” It’ll be interesting to see Eisenberg return to comedy after this, since he absolutely destroys this performance; if we compare his career to that of another actor, I’d say this might be his equivalent to The Truman Show.

Andrew Garfield also did some spectacular work as Eduardo Saverin, Mark’s partner and CFO of Facebook. Indeed, rumor has it Garfield was chosen as the next Spider-Man based on his work in The Social Network. In any case, he was remarkably different from his quiet performance in Never Let Me Go, and I much preferred his character here. And while I won’t claim to have been preaching from the Gospel of Timberlake since the beginning, I will say that ever since 2006′s Alpha Dog, I’ve considered Justin Timberlake a quality actor. This is easily his best role, and he injects the character of Sean Parker (the creator of Napster) with a confidence heretofore unseen in his filmography.

One other thing regarding the acting: the final credits listed Armie Hammer (formerly cast as Batman in George Miller’s abandoned Justice League movie) as playing both Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, brothers who are one of the parties suing Zuckerberg for intellectual theft. If this is true, then hats off to Mr. Hammer for fantastic dueling performances and even more congratulations to the filmmakers for pulling off an absolutely seamless transition throughout the duration of the movie. IMDb currently claims Josh Pence plays Tyler Winklevoss, but I remember the credits giving Hammer credit and recently confirmed that with a friend of mine.

In my review of Catfish, I wondered if that film might actually be more about Facebook than The Social Network. Both movies clearly speak to our connectivity in different ways: Facebook was used more as a tool in Catfish, reflecting real world applications for the site, and The Social Network arranges it as an empire with idealistic goals, posturing the site itself as an exclusive club much like the ones which Zuckerberg yearns to be invited.

The addition of Sean Parker to the mix adds another level of complexity to the film. Best friends Eduardo and Mark clash over how to capitalize on the overnight success of the site, and Parker’s flashy ways ultimately contribute to Mark and Eduardo’s deteriorating relationship. Zuckerberg is smitten with Parker’s business tactics, and Eduardo and his nose-to-the-grindstone methods to secure advertising are (spoiler alert for real life) slowly edged out in favor of the brazen antics of the former Napster wonderboy.

The Social Network is the kind of film in which you know you’re witnessing something special as it unfolds before you. It’s not breathtaking in the same way as this summer’s Inception, but in a much more subtle manner – the writing, direction, acting, and music (a solid score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross) come together to tell an allegedly true story of something that has a tactile effect on our daily lives. I hesitate to throw around the term “masterpiece” since it devalues the term if every 20th movie is a masterpiece, but the more I think about it, the more this film actually applies to that definition. It’s easily my favorite Fincher movie, and assuredly pulls triple duty as a coming-of-age story, a biographical time capsule, and an outstanding courtroom drama that never actually enters a courtroom. The Social Network is a must-see for members of the Facebook generation. Until next time…

*Rooney Mara won the hotly-contested role of Lisbeth Salander in the English language remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, beating out the likes of Natalie Portman, Ellen Page, and many more. Fincher is also directing that project, which is filming now, and seemingly cast Mara based on her work in The Social Network. I’m not entirely sure what he saw in her as Lisbeth Salander, because it’s not entirely clear from her work in this film that she’s a good fit for the character. Maybe he saw something that we didn’t. Guess we’ll have to wait to find out.

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There’s only one interesting conversation I like having with people who like Aaron Sorkin scripts and that’s this: The guy was ON FIRE from A Few Good Men, The American President, through Sports Night and into 3 seasons of The West Wing, which he wrote almost exclusively by his lonesome. Thing is, the guy was freebasing cocaine and doing loads of pot. The interesting question after watching Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip burn out right quick is: does Aaron Sorkin do his best work on drugs?

But, since that has little to do with this script review (unless someone can attest to Sorkin’s habits these days), I apologize for the digression.

A blog called ScriptShadow has read The Social Network, Sorkin’s first draft of the Facebook movie and actually seems to have enjoyed it:

Part of my love for this 162 page script is that Sorkin doesn’t use any discernible structure. I was constantly looking for a base, an obvious story or goal. And there isn’t any. 99% of the time when this happens, the script’s a disaster (don’t try it. just, don’t) But Sorkin uses some crazy unknown voodoo screenwriting tricks to keep us riveted. In the end, our curiosity is what drives the story as we’re wondering if Sean – who’s already sacrificed his personal life – will end up getting sacrificed out of a business as well. Did he indeed steal this idea from Cameron and Tyler? Or are these two spoiled brats lashing out because they can’t handle the one time things didn’t go their way?

The Social Network is a either a modern tragedy or a modern success story depending on how you look at it. Imagine going from nothing to a billionaire in less than a year. How do you even grasp that kind of success? How do you live a normal life? How do you address the constant lawsuits that eat into your everyday existence? And how do you do this at 22 years old? When I was 22, just scraping together enough money to buy a case of Busch Light Draft was a victory. Either way it’s fun to put yourself in Mark’s shoes and picture how you’d handle the situation.

You can read the whole post HERE.

The plot synopsis that preceded this except runs pretty close to the numerous articles about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, so I think we’re looking at an almost-bio-pic film, driven by technology, even if we don’t spend a lot of time with code monkeys in front of a screen.

Sorkin does snappy work, and when he finds the rhythm of a plot and character he’s capable of delivering some of the best writing out there.

Someone rush him a dime bag for draft two.

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Last August, I joined a Facebook Group started for Aaron Sorkin (writer of The West Wing, Sports Night and A Few Good Men) by his assistant Ian Reichbach. Ian was internet savvy enough to manage the Sorkin Facebook presence as Aaron poked around the social networking site so he could better write a Facebook movie for producer Scott Rudin. Vulture confirmed with Rudin that Sorkin wasn’t crazy and there was such a movie in development.

Cut to: yesterday, when a Variety story filled in some of the gaps for this mysterious project:

Columbia Pictures is in advanced talks with David Fincher to direct “The Social Network,” the Aaron Sorkin-scripted film for Columbia Pictures about the formation of Facebook.

The film will focus on the evolution of Facebook from its 2004 creation on the Harvard campus by sophomore Mark Zuckerberg to a juggernaut with more than 200 million members.

Scott Rudin and Michael De Luca are producing with Trigger Street’s Kevin Spacey and Dana Brunetti.

You’re probably picturing what I’m picturing: West-Wing-style walk-and-talks with Fight Club/Panic Room style CG tracking shots through floors, walls and keyholes. Which actually sounds kind of nauseating, but if you’re David Fincher and you need to make dialogue visually exciting, that might just happen.

What was not reported while the internet erupted in a simultaneous cry of “this is stupid” is that The Social Network is actually based off a non-fiction book titled The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, a Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal by author Ben Mezrich, who also wrote Bringing Down The House, the book that would spawn the film 21…also produced by Kevin Spacey.

Logic would suggest that Spacey and producer Scott Rudin got their hands on an advance copy of The Accidental Billionaires and decided to option the project a year before the books publication date (us normals can buy our copies starting on July 14th), slapped Aaron Sorkin on the job of adapting it, tossed Sorkin’s script to Fincher, added some yeast and they’re ready to go later this year.

The book’s official description goes like this:

Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg were Harvard undergraduates and best friends–outsiders at a school filled with polished prep-school grads and long-time legacies. They shared both academic brilliance in math and a geeky awkwardness with women. Eduardo figured their ticket to social acceptance–and sexual success–was getting invited to join one of the university’s Final Clubs, a constellation of elite societies that had groomed generations of the most powerful men in the world and ranked on top of the inflexible hierarchy at Harvard. Mark, with less of an interest in what the campus alpha males thought of him, happened to be a computer genius of the first order. Which he used to find a more direct route to social stardom: one lonely night, Mark hacked into the university’s computer system, creating a ratable database of all the female students on campus–and subsequently crashing the university’s servers and nearly getting himself kicked out of school. In that moment, in his Harvard dorm room, the framework for Facebook was born.

What followed–a real-life adventure filled with slick venture capitalists, stunning women, and six-foot-five-inch identical-twin Olympic rowers–makes for one of the most entertaining and compelling books of the year. Before long, Eduardo’s and Mark’s different ideas about Facebook created in their relationship faint cracks, which soon spiraled into out-and-out warfare. The collegiate exuberance that marked their collaboration fell prey to the adult world of lawyers and money. The great irony is that while Facebook succeeded by bringing people together, its very success tore two best friends apart. The Accidental Billionaires is a compulsively readable story of innocence lost–and of the unusual creation of a company that has revolutionized the way hundreds of millions of people relate to one another.

Call me crazy for not hating this project, but if both Aaron Sorkin and David Fincher can safely put their names on it, shouldn’t I not dismiss it just because, up until today, it was “The Facebook Movie?”

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