With Oscar nominee David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) reportedly in “advanced talks” to direct, and at least two of Hollywood’s hottest young actors – Superbad’s Michael Cera and the ubiquitous Shia LaBeouf – rumored as contenders to star, the upcoming movie about the creation of Facebook (working title: The Social Network) seems closer to becoming a reality.

That could change, of course – just this week, we learned that Sony passed on a cinematic treatment of Moneyball, the bestselling book about the revival of the Oakland A’s that Brad Pitt and Steven Soderbergh seemed intent on bringing to the screen. But for now, The Social Network remains on the fast track, with Cera said to be likeliest candidate to play Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.

If the notion of a Facebook movie sounds less than electrifying, consider the title of the book that inspired it: Ben Mezrich’s The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook – A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal. Mezrich, whose brilliantly tense Bringing Down the House became the card-counting drama 21, lends the project credibility, as does a script adapted by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin.

The Accidental Billionaires, which hits shelves July 14, is being hailed an instant classic by the Facebook movie’s best-known producer, Kevin Spacey. “You may think you know the story of the Facebook phenomenon, but you haven’t heard the whole story and never like this,” Spacey writes on Amazon.com. “Ben tells a captivating story of betrayal, vast amounts of cash, and two friends who revolutionized the way humans connect to one another – only to have an enormous falling out and never speak again.”

“If the book is any indication, the movie is going to be a must-see.”

Zuckerberg, however, is rumored to be less than enthusiastic about Mezrich’s depiction of his rise to fame and unbelievable fortune. Neither the Palo Alto-based social network’s CEO nor any of his underlings has commented publicly on the book, and it’s no surprise that employees are said to have been warned against talking to anyone associated with the film.