Swedish tennis sensation Björn Borg is getting the biopic treatment. Borg’s best-selling memoir “Hjärtslag” (Heartbeat) has been picked up for adaptation by indie giant Banijay Entertainment, with Nordic subsidiary Jarowskij/Yellow Bird and Mastiff Sweden handling the production.
Jonas Akerlund, the Swedish director of Polar, Lord of Chaos, and Netflix series Clark, as well as countless music videos for the likes of Madonna, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, is attached to direct.
The screen adaptation will trace Borg’s meteoric rise to tennis superstardom, capped by his unprecedented five consecutive Wimbledon men’s singles titles, and his shocking decision to retire at the top of his game, at just 26 years old. The story will go beyond the court, looking at Borg’s private life, from his childhood to his years of financial struggle, to his post-tennis reinvention.
“Everyone knows Björn Borg for his legendary moments on the court, for his fierce, unparalleled power as an athlete and icon,” said Akerlund in a statement. “With his book, we finally dipped a toe into his enigmatic mind. But with this project, we’re cannonballing into the deep end.”
“I’ve spent my entire life in matches — both on and off the court,” added Borg. “Jonas wants to explore both sides, and I feel the time is right for that. He has the eye, the energy and the courage to tell my story in his own way.”
At his tennis peak, Borg was famous for his on-court rivalry with U.S. tennis star John McEnroe, a rivarly at the core of the 2017 feature Borg v. McEnroe from Danish director Janus Metz.
Jarowskij/Yellow Bird is a high-end drama series producer best known internationally for its Millennium crime trilogy series, the original version of the The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo franchise. The group is currently working on a reinterpretation of the iconic Swedish detective series Wallander. Mastiff Sweden is best-known for reality TV formats, including Swedish adaptations of Survivor and Love Is Blind, as well as serving as a local production partner on multiple Netflix adaptations. The company recently launched a new culinary showdown format, 100 Knives, co-developed with Banijay Americas label Bunim/Murray Productions.