Sorkin Says $15 Million Gross Revealed His Lack of Visual Instinct

Aaron Sorkin admits that the parts of directing he struggles with are the ones that cannot be learned. The writer, who is 65, made the assessment during a recent interview at the Newport Beach Film Festival. He was there to receive the Maverick Director Award for The Social Reckoning.

The film, which Sorkin also wrote, has grossed only $15 million worldwide. It received a mixed reception from critics, holding a 54 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie was released nationwide on Oct. 9 by Sony.

Sorkin described himself as the second-choice director for the project. He said he would have preferred David Fincher to helms the film, a director he has cited as a favorite. Fincher, who directed Sorkin’s earlier hit The Social Network, was unavailable because he holds an exclusive deal with Netflix.

The Social Reckoning follows a whistleblower who exposes harmful effects of a social media company. Mikey Madison plays the whistleblower, while Jeremy Allen White and Jeremy Strong portray the journalist and Mark Zuckerberg, respectively. The story is set 16 years after the events of The Social Network.

Sorkin, who has written films for 35 years, said he feels like he just entered the movie business. He noted that he has directed four films since Molly’s Game in 2017. He said the learning curve was steeper than expected, specifically regarding the use of the camera.

He stated that he has no visual sensibility for filmmaking. Sorkin compared his situation to screenwriting, where some skills can be taught and others are innate talent. He expressed worry that his directing gaps fall into the category of innate talent that cannot be acquired through study.

The writer said he feels like a football coach after a losing game. He believes the elements for a win were present but failed to come together. He asked for one more chance to prove he can put all the pieces together in the future.

Sorkin also discussed the state of the mid-range budget movie. He said that of his 11 films, most would not exist as feature films today. He believes they would likely be produced as streaming series instead. He noted that A Few Good Men is the only exception from his filmography.

The writer mentioned a new Lincoln Center revival of A Few Good Men. He said he is rewriting the play because he was very young when he originally wrote it. He described the new production as different from the original Broadway run, adding that he is working on it clean and sober after a decade of drug use in his twenties.