Swedish Media Mogul Jan Stenbeck to Be Played by Jakob Oftebro in New Show From ‘Quicksand’ and ‘Hunt for a Killer’ Boarded by Viaplay (EXCLUSIVE)
Viaplay Content Distribution has boarded the anticipated drama series “Vanguard,” a gripping portrayal of Swedish media mogul Jan Stenbeck played by Jakob Oftebro (“Black Crab,” “Agent Hamilton”).
Produced by FLX for SVT in collaboration with New8 Alliance, the five-part series was directed by Goran Kapetanovi? (“Caliphate,” “The Congregation”).
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“Vanguard” was penned by Alex Haridi (“Quicksand’, ‘Love & Anarchy’), Lotta Eriksson (“The Hunt for a Killer”) and Helene Lindholm (“The Hunt for a Killer”), based on Per Andersson’s acclaimed biography “Stenbeck: A Biography of a Successful Businessman.”
Viaplay Content Distribution has boarded international sales rights to the series and will unveil the first episode to buyers during Viaplay Content Distribution’s London Screenings event in February.
The show charts Stenbeck’s “transformative 1970s New York years to his meteoric rise and enduring legacy in Sweden’s media landscape. It chronicles the high-stakes deals, groundbreaking innovations, and the family rivalries that shaped his life.
“At 35, Jan Stenbeck appears to have it all: a prestigious career at Morgan Stanley, a glamorous life in New York, and a budding romance with American socialite Merrill McCloud. But when tragedy strikes his family in Sweden, he is thrust into a leadership role at Kinnevik, the family’s prestigious industrial group. What follows is a high stakes battle between tradition and innovation, as Jan’s visionary ideas clash with his siblings conservative approach. His relentless pursuit of success leads to groundbreaking ventures in media and telecom, including breaking Sweden’s telephone monopoly and launching TV3. However, his meteoric rise comes at a cost. Haunted by loneliness and strained family ties, Jan’s life is as tumultuous as it is transformative,” reads the synopsis.
Lejla Be?ic (“Suburbia”) at FLX is producing the series which is set to premiere in 2025 across the Nordics on SVT, NRK, DR, YLE, and RUV, with additional co-production partners ZDF, NPO, and VRT. Viaplay Content Distribution will represent the series in all remaining territories worldwide.
“’Vanguard’ is an extraordinary drama capturing the essence of one of Sweden’s most enigmatic figures,” says Vanda Rapti, EVP at Viaplay Select and content distribution. “Jan Stenbeck’s story of innovation, ambition, and personal struggle reflects how he revolutionized media and telecommunications both in Sweden and internationally,” she said, adding that “this series exemplifies the best of authentic and compelling Nordic storytelling, and we are honoured to represent it globally through our boutique distribution arm, SVOD channels in markets including the US, UK, and Canada, and our Viaplay Select branded content offering”
Erik Hultkvist, head of programs drama at FLX, said “the series explores the dualities of Jan Stenbeck’s life – a man of contradictions who shaped an era but wrestled with his own demons.”
Johanna G?rdare, head of drama at SVT, described Stenbeck as “one of Sweden’s foremost media pioneers and ideologically driven businessman.”
“The groundbreaking ideas that Stenbeck had and implemented set a completely new direction for media and telephony development in Sweden,” G?rdare continued.
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