Eddie Redmayne to star in The Day of the Jackal adaptation
The Good Nurse star will lead and executive produce the forthcoming Sky and Peacock original series.
Off the back of his worldwide critical acclaim for his chilling performance in Netflix's The Good Nurse, Eddie Redmayne has been announced as the series lead and executive producer for The Day of the Jackal.
If you're thinking the name sounds familiar, you're right, as the Frederick Forsyth thriller novel has been adapted before in 1973 and went on to receive multiple BAFTA, Golden Globe and Oscar nominations at the time of its release.
Now, both the film and original 1971 novel serve as inspiration for this upcoming Sky and Peacock original series, which has been heralded as a "modern reimagining".
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According to the synopsis, this iteration will stay true to the "DNA of the original story" but will "delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’ at the heart of the story". It has been described as a "high octane, cinematic, globetrotting 'cat and mouse' thriller, set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time".
The political thriller film catalogued an underground French paramilitary group's attempt to assassinate President Charles de Gaulle (played by Adrien Cayla-Legrand). Unsuccessful, it turned to a hitman known as 'The Jackal'.
Played in the film by Edward Fox, the assassin also turns to killing those who cross his path, while simultaneously being tracked down by a curious French detective who is intent on figuring out his true identity.
With such a meaty film and novel as its inspiration, there's no telling what direction this new re-imagination will take, but something tells us it's bound to be stellar. It's being produced by Carnival Films – the team behind Downton Abbey and The Last Kingdom – after all, as well as having Top Boy creator and writer Ronan Bennett serve as writer and showrunner.
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Award-winning director Brian Kirk, who has worked on the likes of Luther, Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, will be directing the series, which will kick off with production this year.
Speaking about the new series, Gareth Neame, CEO & executive producer at Carnival Films, said: "We are excited to bring to life Ronan Bennett’s re-imagining of Forsyth’s revered thriller in the complex world in which we live today and are incredibly fortunate to have an actor of Eddie’s calibre as our Jackal.
"Paired with Ronan’s screenplay and Brian Kirk’s direction, this is a first-class creative team."
The Day of the Jackal will be available to watch on Sky in the UK. Find out more about how to sign up for Sky TV.
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Authors
Morgan Cormack is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering everything drama-related on TV and streaming. She previously worked at Stylist as an Entertainment Writer. Alongside her past work in content marketing and as a freelancer, she possesses a BA in English Literature.
