'The Social Network' director reveals failed attempt to bring back Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg

Jesse Eisenberg portrayed Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg in the 2010 film The Social Network.

So when director Aaron Sorkin was writing a sequel, he naturally expected the actor to reprise his hit role.

But the filmmaker was shocked when the Now You See Me director refused.

He told Entertainment Weekly that when he was near to finish his script, he "ran into Eisenberg at a party and said, ‘I’m going to be sending you something in a couple of weeks.’” 

In response, Eisenberg “smiled and nodded, and I sent it to him." But the director said, “It never occurred to me that he wouldn’t want to do it.”

That, however, didn't stop Sorkin from trying again. He approached the actor again, but this time he came fully prepared.

“This is the only time I’ve written myself an outline. I don’t do it for the movies, but I did it for my conversations with Jesse,” the director recalled.

He continued, “It was arguments for why he should do it. They included, ‘We already know you’re going to be great because you were already once. ’"

"You know, ‘Here are the great moments that you’re going to get to play in the movie.'" And I laid it out for him.” 

Though Sorkin's arguments were persuasive, Eisenberg did not budge, despite mulling over reversing his decision.

"And while Eisenberg didn’t sign on, he did tell Sorkin that their conversations made him “come closer to changing my mind than I thought you were going to."

To this, Sorkin said, “pleased” him.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Strong is now portraying Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Reckoning.