A new adaptation of the famous Frederick Forsyth novel will be hitting screens this fall with a new series from Peacock.
The teaser trailer for the new Peacock series The Day of the Jackal premiered during NBC’s and Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. The trailer is now online for audiences to view. The concept is a reimagining of the 1973 film adaptation from Universal Pictures. In The Day of the Jackal, Redmayne plays the Jackal, a professional assassin hired by a French paramilitary dissident to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962. The new series stars Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch and Úrsula Corberó.
The synopsis, per Deadline, reads,
“It follows an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. The new version has been reimagined as a contemporary story set amidst the current turbulent geo-political landscape and will delve deeper into the chameleon-like anti-hero.”
Inspired by Frederick Forsyth’s novel of the same name (and Universal’s film adaptation), the new version brings the character and story to a contemporary setting, letting our corrupt geo-political landscape loose in a world of deception, lies, cover-ups, and death. In addition to telling an intriguing tale of careful murder, The Day of the Jackal series will meditate on the concept of an anti-hero.
Ronan Bennett (Top Boy, Public Enemies, Gunpowder) will showrun and write the series, with Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones, Luther) directing. In addition to his starring role, Redmayne will executive produce alongside Carnival Films’ Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant and Sky Studios’ Sam Hoyle. Marianne Buckland serves as co-exec producer, Frederick Forsyth is consulting producer, and Christopher Hall is producing.
The Day of the Jackal series will shoot its shot on Peacock in the U.S. and Sky in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. NBCUniversal Global Distribution is negotiating international sales of the new series.
The Day of the Jackal will premiere on Peacock and Sky on November 7.
