Social Network debuts at No 1

Los Angeles - Movie fans are spending some face time with a story about the founders of Facebook.

The Social Network, a drama about the quarrelsome creation of the online juggernaut, debuted as the No 1 weekend film with $23m.

The Sony release from director David Fincher traces the history of Facebook from Harvard University, where computer whiz Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and his best friend (Andrew Garfield) launched the site, through its meteoric rise to half a billion members.

The film also follows the nasty legal fight as Zuckerberg is sued by his friend, along with three other students who claim he stole their idea.

Sony hopes for a long shelf life for the film, which has earned Academy Awards buzz and rave reviews.