Swedish mogul Jan Stenbeck is played by Jakob Oftebro in new show

Viaplay Content Distribution has been included in the anticipated drama series ‘Vanguard’, a moving portrayal of Swedish media mogul Jan Stenbeck, played by Jakob Oftebro (‘Black Crab’, ‘Agent Hamilton’).

The five-part series, produced by FLX for SVT in collaboration with New8 Alliance, was directed by Goran Kapetanović (“Caliphate,” “The Congregation”).

“Vanguard” was written by Alex Haridi (“Quicksand,” “Love & Anarchy”), Lotta Eriksson (“The Hunt for a Killer”) and Helene Lindholm (“The Hunt for a Killer”), based on the critically acclaimed biography of Per Andersson “Stenbeck: a biography of a successful businessman.”

Viaplay Content Distribution has acquired the international sales rights to the series and will unveil the first episode to buyers at Viaplay Content Distribution’s London Screenings event in February.

The show charts Stenbeck’s “transformative 1970s in New York, to his meteoric rise and lasting legacy in the Swedish media landscape. It chronicles the high-stakes deals, groundbreaking innovations and family rivalries that shaped his life.

“At the age of 35, Jan Stenbeck seems 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 takes on a leadership role at Kinnevik, the family’s prestigious industrial group. What follows is a battle between tradition and innovation where the stakes are high, while Jan’s visionary ideas clash with the conservative approach of his brother and sister. His relentless pursuit of success leads to groundbreaking ventures in media and telecom, including breaking the Swedish telephone monopoly and launching TV3. However, his meteoric rise comes at a cost. Plagued by loneliness and strained family ties, Jan’s life is as tumultuous as it is transformative,” the synopsis reads.

Lejla Bešic (“Suburbia”) at FLX produces the series that will premiere in Scandinavia in 2025 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 that captures the essence of one of Sweden’s most enigmatic figures,” said 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 Scandinavian stories, and we are honored to represent it globally through our boutique distribution division, SVOD channels in markets including the US, UK and Canada, and our Viaplay Select branded content offering”

Erik Hultkvist, head of program drama at FLX, said: “the series explores the dualities of the life of Jan Stenbeck – a man of contradictions who shaped an era but struggled with his own demons.”

Johanna Gårdare, head of drama at SVT, described Stenbeck as “one of Sweden’s most important media pioneers and ideologically driven businessman.”

“The groundbreaking ideas that Stenbeck had and implemented set a completely new direction for the development of media and telephony in Sweden,” Gårdare continued.