Tennis legend Björn Borg’s best-selling memoir Heartbeat is set to be made into a stylish film with popular Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund as director.
Banijay Entertainment’s Jarrowskij/Yellow Bird and Mastiff Sweden labels are developing the scripted project in collaboration with Åkerlund, known for groundbreaking music videos for Madonna, Beyoncé, Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, as well as films such as Polar, Span, Lords of Chaos and the Netflix series Clerks.
The film version currently in development depicts Borg’s meteoric rise to tennis stardom, including his unprecedented five consecutive Wimbledon titles and his shocking decision to retire at just 26 years old. The memoir, originally titled Hjärtslag and published by Norstedts, delves into Borg’s life beyond the tennis court, highlighting his childhood, years of financial ruin, media scrutiny, and ultimately personal reinvention.
“I’ve dedicated my entire life to the game, both on and off the court,” Borg said. “Jonas wants to explore both sides and feels the time is right. He has the eye, energy and courage to tell my story in his own way,” he continued.
Meanwhile, Åkerlund said, “Everyone knows Bjorn Borg for his legendary moments on the court, his ferocious and unparalleled power as an athlete and an icon.”
“With his book, we finally got to step a little deeper into his mysterious mind. But with this project, we’re canonically diving into its depths,” Åkerlund continued.
This ambitious project reflects Banijay Entertainment’s growing expansion in sports storytelling following the launch of Banijay Sports.
Matthias Olsson, head of creative at Mastiff Sweden, and Elin Qvist, CEO of Jarowski/Yellow Bird, said in a statement: “We are extremely proud to have been entrusted with this unique story about one of the greatest sports heroes of all time, Bjorn Borg.” “There’s only one person who can say that, and that’s the cultural power of Jonas Åkerlund. This will be an unforgettable biopic that you must see.”
Borg was previously the subject of Janus Metz’s 2017 film about his rivalry with John McEnroe. Borg was played by Sverrir Gudnason and McEnroe was played by Shia LaBeouf.
Mastiff Sweden’s roster of ambitious formats includes the recently announced TV4 cooking showdown “100 Knives” (co-developed with Banijay America’s label Bunim/Murray Productions), the long-running local version of “Survivor” and “Love Is Blind Sweden,” for which it is a production partner on multiple Netflix adaptations.
Meanwhile, Jarowski/Yellow Bird has written hit scripts such as “Diary of a Ditched Girl,” “A Nearly Normal Family,” “Millennium,” and “The Restaurant,” and is currently working on a reboot of “Wallander.”
Banijay Entertainment has more than 60 labels and produces more than 110 titles a year, including House of Guinness, Half Man and the Culpa trilogy. The Nordic slate includes:
“Fallen”, “My Brother”, “Billionaire’s Island”, “Still Breathing”, “Supporting Actor”, “Murder”
With a stamp. ”
