Never one to conform, star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has decided to sidestep the current sports documentary trend and give his personal mythology more of a cinematic treatment. Based on his written biography of the same name, we may soon be flocking to theatres for the feature-length release I Am Zlatan.
The screenplay has been penned by Jakob Beckman and David Lagercrantz, the latter of whom co-authored the source material alongside Ibrahimovic himself. Lagercrantz is best known for taking over Stieg Larsson’s Millennium crime novel series starting from The Girl in the Spider’s Web all the way to the latest instalment The Girl Who Lived Twice. The upcoming film is being directed by Swedish TV presenter/director, Jens Sjögren.
Ibrahimovic, of course, has been actively involved with this project in every possible stage – from the screenplay’s conception to its ongoing production schedule. Filming is already well underway somewhere in Sweden and is expected to conclude in Amsterdam.
As for the million-dollar question regarding who is portraying the man/myth/legend, a young Dominic Bajraktari Andersson is signed on from the ages of 11 to 13 before one Granit Rushiti takes over from 17 to 23. It’s currently unknown whether I Am Zlatan plans to depict any more of Ibra’s sterling career beyond his time at Ajax/transition to Juventus,
“Ibrahimovic is much more than a footballer – he is a pure leader, a legendary icon, a way of being that belongs only to him and that cannot be replicated,” says Andrea Occhipinti of Italian film distribution company, Lucky Red.
“The story of this contemporary myth, that in Italy has found its highest consecration, could only become a great story for cinema.”
I Am Zlatan is scheduled for theatrical release in mid-2021.
