Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch’s edgy new British series The Day Of The Jackal released its first trailer on Saturday.
The upcoming political thriller follows in the footsteps of the 1973 film of the same name and is the second English-language adaptation of the 1971 book of the same name.
Reimagined in a contemporary political setting, The Day Of The Jackal (2024) centers on an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, The Jackal (Eddie, 42), who makes his living committing murders for the highest fees.
However, the Jackal runs into a rival: a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana, 36), who begins to pursue him in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in his wake.
Also starring are Chukwudi Iwuji from Guardians of the Galaxy, Charles Dance from Game of Thrones and Ursula Corbero from Money Heist.
The raunchy new British series The Day Of The Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne (pictured) and Lashana Lynch, 36, released its first trailer on Saturday
The upcoming political thriller follows in the vein of the 1973 film of the same name as the second English-language adaptation of the 1971 book of the same name (pictured: Lashana)
Reimagined in a contemporary political setting, The Day Of The Jackal (2024) centers on a high-net-worth, unrivaled, and highly elusive lone assassin, The Jackal (Eddie).
The story of Frederick Forsyth will be told by Sky and Peacock in 10 parts.
It was adapted for the small screen by Ronan Bennett, the creator and writer of the critically acclaimed English crime drama Top Boy.
The Day of the Jackal was directed by Brian Kirk, whose credits include Game Of Thrones and Luther.
The series is produced by Carnival Films, part of Universal International Studios, a division of Universal Studio Group.
Eddie serves as executive producer, Lashana as co-executive producer, and author Frederick as consulting producer.
Executive producers Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant, who both worked on Downton Abbey, spoke to GQ about the project.
Gareth said: ‘We both loved the book and watched the film when we were kids. I’ve seen the film many times throughout my life and have always had a lot of respect for it.’
While they were initially cautious about tackling source material that carries such high regard, expanding the story through episodic television shows seemed like too good an opportunity to turn down.
The Jackal meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana, 36) who begins tracking him in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving behind destruction.
Also appearing are Chukwudi Iwuji from Guardians of the Galaxy, Charles Dance from Game of Thrones and Ursula Corbero from Money Heist (pictured)
The story of Frederick Forsyth will be told by Sky and Peacock in 10 parts. It was adapted for the small screen by Ronan Bennett, creator of the critically acclaimed English crime drama Top Boy.
The Day Of The Jackal was directed by Brian Kirk, whose credits include Game Of Thrones and Luther, and will premiere on Sky, NOW and Peacock on November 7.
“It’s such an iconic and compelling story that to revisit it in a contemporary context, with all the benefits of a multi-episode show… we thought it would be really interesting to take this highly regarded intellectual property and develop it in this way.”
Nigel agreed: “I think this kind of title is in a lot of people’s consciousness… And so, what’s the benefit of telling this on a bigger canvas?”
In response to the central question of why the series is set in the 2020s and not the 1960s of the book and film, Gareth simply said: “If we were to stay in the past, why do it? You can’t improve the film.”
The Day of the Jackal will premiere on Sky and the NOW streaming service in the UK (and Peacock in the US) on November 7, 2024.
