The core cast has been set for “The Social Network,” a drama about the formation of Facebook.

Variety says Jesse Eisenberg will play founder Mark Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake will play Sean Parker, the Napster co-founder who became Facebook’s founding president, and Andrew Garfield will play Eduardo Saverin, the Facebook co-founder who fell out with Zuckerberg as the social network exploded in popularity. 

The Columbia release is directed by David Fincher and the script was penned by Aaron Sorkin. Kevin Spacey is executive producer.  The pic focuses on the evolution of Facebook, the social network created by Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm room in 2004, and how overnight success and wealth changes the lives of the classmates who created it.

Facebook began as a spin-off of Harvard’s version of the site Hot or Not on which users are invited to rank a subject’s level of attractiveness. The Harvard version was called Facesmash. Facebook is now reportedly the most used social networking site in the world with an estimated 300 million users and an implied value of $15 billion dollars, based on the price of portions sold.

Production on the film will begin next month in Boston.

(Photo by PR Photos)