Filmlance, one of Sweden's major production companies originally optioned the novel The Circle. However, due to undisclosed reasons, the authors of the book, Sara Bergmark Elfgren and Mats Strandberg, withdrew their support of the production and so did director Levan Akin. It was not until Ludvig Andersson told his father Benny Andersson about the novel and they started a production company and took over the rights that the project got moving again and the film was made.