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Eddie Redmayne's The Day of the Jackalis officially a sleeper hit on VOD.

Per FlixPatrol, The Day of the Jackal has quietly been creeping its way up the video-on-demand charts for iTunes. As of the time of writing, The Day of the Jackal sits at the number seven spot on the top VOD titles for July 9, gaining two spots over Bachelor in Paradise and Arrested Development. Currently, The Day of the Jackal sits just behind Avatar the Last Airbender, which has held the number six spot for two days straight.

Based on author Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel of the same name, The Day of the Jackal stars Eddie Redmayne as Alex Duggan, better known as the enigmatic assassin, The Jackal. Updated for a contemporary setting, The Day of the Jackal follows the eponymous gun-for-hire as he carries out high-profile missions, faces off against fellow assassins, evades MI6 operatives, and...

This Emmy season, four starry Best Drama contenders put a spin on the venerable spy genre. Three newbies, “The Agency” (Paramount+/Showtime), “The Day of the Jackal” (Peacock), and “Black Doves” (Netflix) are already prepping their second seasons, while one established series, “Slow Horses” (AppleTV+) will premiere Season 5 on September 24.

“Slow Horses” Season 4 has already scored a number of critic and guild nominations, following nine Emmy Primetime nominations and one win (showrunner/writer Will Smith) for Season 3. Inevitably, while critically lauded and popular, in a competitive field, the new shows are playing catch-up with the already established “Slow Horses.” But this year, anything can happen.

Three of these shows are British, while the American “The Agency” just looks British: It’s set at the CIA London office, is written by the British Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, and stars Irish Michael Fassbender playing American and British actress Jodie Turner-Smith playing Sudanese.

Eddie Redmayne has teased fans with an exciting new update concerning his forthcoming return in The Day of the Jackal season 2. Based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel of the same name, Redmayne marks the third actor to play the mysterious assassin known as the Jackal, after previous movie adaptations have seen the character played by both Edward Fox in 1973 and Bruce Willis in 1997’s The Jackal. Generating largely positive reviews and earning Redmayne multiple award nominations, The Day of the Jackal was renewed for season 2 shortly after it made its streaming debut in November 2024.

Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Redmayne expressed his enthusiasm for his role on Day of the Jackal. Describing the show as an “actor’s playground,” the star explained that it was the clandestine nature of the character and his penchant for adopting multiple disguises and accents that made the role so appealing to him. Check out...

Frederick Forsyth, a British author of thrillers who frequently made the bestseller lists, sold 70 million books and saw his novels “The Day of the Jackal,” “The Odessa File” and “The Dogs of War,” among others, adapted into films, died on Monday at his home in Jordans, England. He was 86 years old. The New York Times confirmed Forsyth’s death, which his literary representative, Jonathan Lloyd, said “followed a short illness.”

“The Day of the Jackal” was adapted into a 1973 film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale. Fox played the professional assassin known only as the “Jackal” who is hired to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1963. The film was a critical and box office success, and was also turned into a series in 2024 starring Eddie Redmayne.

Roger Ebert said of the feature version: “I wasn’t prepared for how good it...

Frederick Forsyth, the internationally acclaimed British author whose talent for page-turning thrillers provided the fodder for such films as The Day of the Jackal, The Odessa File, The Dogs of War and The Fourth Protocol, died Monday. He was 86.

Forsyth died at his home in Buckinghamshire, England, his literary agency Curtis Brown announced.

The journalist turned novelist, who saw his share of derring-do as a pilot in the Royal Air Force, was one of the most influential authors of his genre. He excited his fans for four decades, weaving topical subject matter and political machinations with edge-of-your-seat action.

To do so, he used only a typewriter. No computers for him.

“I have never had an accident where I have pressed a button and accidentally sent seven chapters into cyberspace, never to be seen again,” he told the BBC in 2008. “And have you ever tried to hack into my typewriter? It is very secure.

Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant had long wanted to adapt Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel The Day of the Jackal, which had already been turned into a 1973 film directed by Fred Zinneman and starring Edward Fox. But they had always tabled the discussion because "I don't think think the film can be bettered," Neame tells Gold Derby.

"Several rounds we just said, 'No, we're not gonna do anything with this. We're not gonna pursue it,'" he continues.

But the producing duo could never forget about it and eventually found a way to put their own spin on the spy thriller: by bringing the cat-and-mouse chase into the 21st century as a 10-episode TV series to delve deeper into the psyche of the titular assassin.

And it worked. The Day of the Jackal has been a hit for Peacock and Sky and was renewed for a second season before the first one ended.

Though Eddie Redmayne currently stars in “The Day of the Jackal,” one of the most acclaimed new shows of the year, he still has time to check out other television programs – including the buzzy HBO hit “The White Lotus.” But the Oscar winner isn’t throwing his hat into the casting ring for an upcoming season.

“I’m too paranoid about butchering the things I love,” he tells Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast. “There are some things you don’t want to see yourself in because you don’t want to ruin it.” Even the fact that the show shoots in beautiful locations isn’t enough to convince the actor. “You say that, but also you have to be topless for the entire thing. And if you’re pasty and moley like me…I just don’t think the world needs to see my pallid body.”

On this episode, Redmayne...

Eddie Redmayne, who stars as the chameleon assassin in Peacock’s adaptation of The Day of the Jackal, credited his frequent collaborator, Alexandra Reynolds — whom he’s worked with since playing Stephen Hawking in The Theory of Everything — with tipping him off to David Bowie’s philosophy on costumes.

“She helped me with some of the different characters and the physicality of the different characters in this series,” Redmayne said at a Peacock FYC Q&a at the Lot on Formosa on Monday, noting how early in his career, Bowie appeared in makeup and costumes embodying characters like Ziggy Stardust. “She showed me this interview with David Bowie in the ’70s. It was the first interview he had done dressed as him.”

After going public in a debonair suit, Bowie shared his attitude toward changing his appearance. He did it for his rock star persona. Redmayne’s Jackal uses shifting...

Fans have been left waiting for any updates about the second season of Guy Ritchie’s hit Netflix series, The Gentlemen. And while we now have a promising update, it could mean fans will be left waiting even longer before returning to this caper about an aristocrat and his drug empire.

As per a report by Screen Global Production, The Gentlemen Season 2 has only just started filming, with the Netflix production returning to the United Kingdom for the follow-up. Much like its predecessor, the second season will consist of eight episodes but, while the series was officially renewed back in August last year, it has taken a while before getting it in front of cameras. Meaning audiences are likely looking at a 2026 release date.

Landing on Netflix in March 2024, The Gentlemen is a spin-off of Guy Ritchie’s 2019 crime comedy of the same name starring Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding,...

The great Angela Lansbury, winner of five Tony Awards and an honorary Oscar, and nominee for three Oscars and 18 Primetime Emmys besides -- passed away in 2022 at the age of 96, leaving a legacy so large, it cannot be measured by other mortals in the acting sphere. Lansbury was one of the more versatile actresses of her generation, playing innocent girls, scheming villainesses and murderers, heroes, crones, and loving matrons all with equal aplomb. 

Lansbury was already a sizable celebrity by 1984 when she took the role of Jessica Fletcher on the long-running detective series "Murder, She Wrote." Fletcher was a retired English-teacher-turned-mystery-author who became embroiled in a series of murders in her small town of Cabot Cove, Maine. It was a cozy and intelligent series, buoyed by Lansbury's personable performance. The series ran for 247 episodes over 12 seasons. Frustratingly, Lansbury won none of 12 Emmys for which she was nominated for "Murder, She Wrote.

There's something very comforting about curling up with a cozy murder mystery. Easy-going, nostalgic, and usually low on violence after an inciting incident, they can be the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern life. Sure, a few people might get killed, but you know that the bad guys will (almost) always get their comeuppance and order in the movie's self-contained world will be restored by the time the credits roll. Little wonder that the format enjoyed a resurgence during the pandemic with millions seeking solace from the likes of "Murder, She Wrote" and "Columbo." These old shows are so relaxing, their modern-day equivalents like "Poker Face" even helped me beat insomnia a few years back.

Although the term "cozy mystery" didn't exist when she was writing, Agatha Christie is now regarded as the mother of the format. After introducing Hercule Poirot in her first novel, "The Mysterious Affair at...

As you know, the James Bond franchise is moving in a new direction under Amazon’s control. We still don’t know how everything will play out, but there are a lot of rumors floating around, which makes the debates all the more interesting.

Along the rumors, there are also numerous fan theories about possible new characters and you’ve probably come across many fans who believe that Pierce Brosnan, who played Agent 007 at one point, should be cast as M. Now, the actor has responded to these claims.

Related: Amazon’s New Bond Producers: Amy Pascal & David Heyman Reportedly Set to Shake Up 007

M is an exceptionally important character in the franchise. As the head of the MI6, M is Bond’s superior and is in charge of running the whole operation. The character has been portrayed by several actors over the years, and they are Bernard Lee (1962–1979), John Huston...

Originally released in 1977, A Bridge Too Far is nearly five decades old. For some fans of war movies, the film has been forgotten, but its availability on a new streaming home could bring some renewed attention to the acclaimed classic.

Currently,A Bridge Too Far is streaming on Prime Video. Directed by Richard Attenborough and written by William Goldman, the film was based on the original book of the same name written by Cornelius Ryan. It delves into the story of what's known as Operation Market Garden, a failed Allied operation against the Nazis in the Netherlands during World War II.

RelatedRichard Attenborough Starred in This WWII Masterpiece 59 Years Before Christopher Nolan's Version

Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk was a cinematic feat, but it was preceded by a 1958 movie with Richard Attenborough.

Fox was one of several members of the star-studded ensemble cast of A Bridge Too Far. Hollywood icon Gene Hackman,...

2024 was a big year for Netflix, which premiered a series of successful series, and among them was The Gentlemen. The crime drama series was a spin-off series based on Guy Ritchie's 2019 film of the same name and starred Theo James in one of the leading roles.

The series was a hit on the platform, which led the streaming service to rush to renew The Gentlemen for Season 2. Season 1 was released on Mar. 7, but there are a few changes the show will premiere the new installment this year. However, in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, James gave an exciting update on The Gentlemen Season 2.

RelatedTheo James Reveals Inspiration for The Monkey Beyond Stephen King's Novel

The director wanted a more time-appropriate feel for the adaptation of the 1980 short story.

"We are starting that in the spring," James revealed about the production start for Season 2. "I’m going...

Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne’s new Peacock series, The Day of the Jackal, premiered last November, and since then it’s become the most-watched original drama series ever for the streamer. Per Peacock, The Day of the Jackal, completed the feat of being the most watched original Peacock series ever after 75 days of viewership. The show is also a global sensation and is the biggest series ever launched on Sky.

Per ScreenRant, NBC Universal did not release specific viewing numbers, but the first episode had about 4.6 million viewers on Sky in its first 28 days. The Day of the Jackalwas nominated for a 2025 Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series, as well as a Critics' Choice Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. Redmayne was nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Awards, and he is up forScreen Actors Guild Awards.

Redmayne, who won a Best...

Ridley Scott claims that his debut 1977 movie would have won one of the biggest film prizes had it not been for $50K bribery. The English director is perhaps best known for his iconic sci-fi films, Alien and Blade Runner, which were only the second and third films of his career. A few years earlier, he made his feature directorial debut in 1977 with a lesser-known historical drama, his first in the genre before directing many more in Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven, The Last Duel, and Napoleon.

Scott's later historical epic Gladiator did win arguably the biggest prize in film, the Academy Award for Best Picture, in 2001, while his 2016 sci-fi film The Martian was also nominated for the honor. Additionally, Scott has received an Oscar nomination for Best Director three times for Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, and Black Hawk Down. The director has also competed for another one of the biggest prizes in film several times,...

Sean Connery's James Bond films have a significant place in movie history, kicking off the long-running franchise in the early 1960s that has spanned decades with a total of 26 (1 being unofficial) Bond movies to date. Connery is arguably the most important actor in the franchise, being the first of six actors so far to take up the mantle of the iconic 007. His first appearance as the character was in Dr. No in 1962, which was also the first adaptation of the landmark novels by Ian Fleming.

Following his first film as James Bond, Connery starred in four more 007 films in the '60s, retiring briefly from the character, only to return in 1971. He finally came back once more in 1983 for Never Say Never Again, which officially marked the end of his career as 007. Not only was Sean Connery one of the most important James Bond actors, but he was also one of the best,...

We have not yet seen the last of Eddie Redmayne‘s meticulous hitman, who can actually shapeshift whenever the job calls for it. Based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel of the same name, which has already spawn a film in 1973 starring Edward Fox, the show drew in a wide range of audience.

In fact, it was the biggest ever new series to launch on Sky when it premiered, so it’s not a wonder that the second season was greenlit so early in the day.

Plus, they’ve just got to tie up those loose ends or some fans – including me – will never forgive them.

Here’s Everything We Know About Eddie Redmayne’s ‘Day of the Jackal’ Season 2

Fans and critics alike heaped praises on the show when it premiered in November, and the praises did not fail to escape Eddie Redmayne, who plays the cold-blooded assassin in the...

Warning! This article contains spoilers for The Day of the Jackal.

The Day of the Jackal (2024) is the latest adaptation of the 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth, but there are plenty of differences between the original story, and even the 1973 film. Eddie Redmayne stars as the titular Jackal, a master assassin who completes contract kills on behalf of private clients. While the story features a lot of commonalities with the original story, there are distinct changes from the beginning.

However, the TV show is not the first adaptation to alter the story from the source material. Just two years after the novel was published, a feature film starring Edward Fox as the lead was released, and it took some liberties with the story. Despite this, the 1973 was an attempt at a faithful adaptation, while the modern TV show aimed to update and build on the story which is foundational in the earlier text.

Eddie Redmayne has confirmed he is returning for “The Day of the Jackal” Season 2.

The series, in which Redmayne plays mysterious mercenary the Jackal, was renewed last month.

For fans who haven’t seen the Sky and Peacock adaptation of the 1972 book and 1973 feature film starring Edward Fox as cold-blooded assassin the Jackal, the news is sure to be confusing.

The original sees the Jackal hotly pursued across Europe in a high-stakes cat and mouse chase by a dogged detective — played by Lashana Lynch in the new adaptation — before one of them must perish when they eventually meet face to face.

Those who have watched the Sky/Peacock version — including it’s expectation-defying season finale — will know there is more story for Redmayne to tell.

“If there’s one thing that the Jackal can’t stand, it’s a loose end. So we will see you soon for Season 2,” Redmayne...

Spoiler Alert: This article contains major spoilers from the Season 1 finale of “The Day of the Jackal,” now streaming on Peacock and Now.

Despite some initial scepticism about rebooting a property as iconic as “The Day of the Jackal,” the ten-part series starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch has been a resounding success for Peacock in the U.S. and Sky in the U.K.

So much so a second season of the show, which is based on both Freddie Forsyth’s 1971 novel and the 1973 feature film adaptation starring Edward Fox, has already been greenlit.

In the season finale, the cat and mouse chase between the mysterious assassin the Jackal (Redmayne) and his nemesis, detective Bianca Pullman (Lynch) finally comes to a head as the duo meet face to face. Despite being cornered by Pullman and her colleague, in an almost anti-climactic moment the Jackal swiftly dispatches them both and moves onto his next mission,...

[This story contains major spoilers from the Day of the Jackal season finale.]

When The Day of the Jackal executive producers Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant took on a TV remake of Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 historical novel, they had a dilemma.

Should they kill off the chameleon assassin played by Eddie Redmayne, as happened in the original 1973 movie? Or have him survive for a second season and another possible multiseason franchise?

As viewers saw during the Sky and Peacock series’ riveting two-episode finale (released on Thursday night), the Jackal — in a shock twist — survives the 10-episode first season, and it’s Bianca Pullman, Lashana Lynch’s MI6 agent who pursued Redmayne’s Jackal across Europe, who meets a grisly death in the end.

Of course, that’s a flip ending to Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 film adaptation where Lebel, the reluctant detective played by Michael Lonsdale, ultimately kills the Jackal just as the hired killer reloads his rifle for another shot. But saying goodbye...

Eddie Redmayne has joined the cast of 'Panic Carefully'.The 42-year-old actor is to star alongside Julia Roberts and Elizabeth Olsen in the film that is being written and directed by Sam Esmail.Plot and character details on the flick are yet to be revealed but the movie has been described as a paranoid thriller that is influenced by 'The Silence of the Lambs' and focuses on the hunt for a cyber-terrorist.Esmail and Chad Hamilton are producing the picture for Esmail Corp while Kevin McCormick and Chrystal Li are overseeing the movie for Warner Bros.The studio acquired the film earlier this year after a competitive bidding war with part of the appeal for the filmmakers a commitment to a cinema run – a growing factor in the sale of films to distributors.Eddie's most recent role saw him play assassin The Jackal in the Sky Atlantic TV series '...

Season 2 of the British spy drama The Day of the Jackal is approaching, and the release date projections promise a quick turnaround. 

Eddie Redmayne stars in The Day of the Jackal as an assassin known as the "Jackal" while Captain Marvel's Lashana Lynch plays the MI6 officer determined to capture him. 

The Peacock series is the second time Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal novel has been adapted, the first being a 1973 film starring Edward Fox.

Read full article on The Direct.

“The Day of the Jackal” producer Gareth Neame has admitted he initially balked at making the Eddie Redmayne reboot, which was released last month, because he was such a fan of the 1973 movie starring Edward Fox.

The film is itself based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel. The new series, which also stars Lashana Lynch, began broadcasting on Sky in the U.K. and Peacock in the U.S. last month. It has already been renewed for a second season.

“It came up in a creative meeting before the pandemic, and I just immediately [said] ‘No, we’re not doing that. I love the movie, nope, we’re not,’” said Neame, who is CEO of Universal International Studios-owned Carnival Films, during a panel at TV industry confab Content London on Thursday. “And colleagues kept bringing it up as, you know, ‘We have the rights.’ And the [Universal Pictures] film group weren...

Sky scripted exec Meghan Lyvers has addressed a question some people have been asking over the recent “The Day of the Jackal” reboot, starring Eddie Redmayne, namely whether it needed to be a reboot at all given the departure from the source material.

“The Day of the Jackal” was first published as a novel in 1971 by Frederick Forsyth and adapted as a feature two years later, with Edward Fox playing cold-blooded assassin The Jackal.

Redmayne’s 10-episode version, which was written by Ronan Bennett, debuted last month on Sky in the U.K. and Peacock in the U.S. It has already been renewed for a second season.

“It’s an interesting one,” said Lyvers, who is executive director of original scripted television and film at the Comcast-owned media company. “The IP [intellectual property] was in the Universal family,” she explained, adding that the book has always been a “touchpoint for...

Providing their audience with an unflinching snapshot of the life-or-death nature of armed conflict, war movies have formed an intrinsic part of popular culture since the earliest days of cinema, to the point that storied names in the vein of Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, and The Deer Hunter are widely regarded as some of the best movies of all time. Furthermore, many of the best war films of all time owe much of their success to a superb villain who carries the story with their wicked presence, serving as the perfect antagonistic foil.

In many cases, the villain is the movie's best character, with the actor tasked with bringing them to life producing a nuanced and compelling performance that has the potential to overshadow the efforts of the film's protagonists. From morally devoid war criminals and renegade soldiers to Machiavellian double agents, the best portrayals of war movie villains...

Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal in ‘The Day of the Jackal’ episode 1 (Photo by: Marcell Piti/Carnival Film and Television Limited)

Peacock and Sky have given the thriller The Day of the Jackal an early season two renewal. Starring Eddie Redmayne as the titular character, the series hit the top spot on Peacock’s Top 10 TV Shows list over its first weekend. The 10-episode first season premiered on November 14, 2024 and will wrap up on December 19th.

In addition to Eddie Redmayne, season one stars Lashana Lynch, Úrsula Corberó, Charles Dance, Richard Dormer, and Chukwudi Iwuji. Lia Williams, Khalid Abdalla, Eleanor Matsuura, Jonjo O’Neill, and Sule Rimi also stars.

“An unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Redmayne), makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee,” reads Peacock’s synopsis. “But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lynch) who starts...

43 years after its publication, Frederick Forsyth's "The Day of the Jackal" is still thrilling people the world over. The book is newly relevant due to its fourth live-action adaptation, and while the Peacock series bears little resemblance to the based-on-real-life novel (no one's trying to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle this time out), it's gripping in its own right thanks to dynamite performances from Eddie Redmayne as the very dangerous prey and Lashana Lynch as the estimable predator.

Why is this yarn so enduring? It's a classic cat-and-mouse story with believable stakes. The fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance because of Redmayne's assignment -- at least, not yet. The show is a slow burn, and is only at its seventh episode in the United States, so who knows where it's all going to end up? We'll have to wait until December 12 to find out, but...

Sky’s new thriller series The Day Of The Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne, has been renewed for season 2. More on the news below.

The Day Of The Jackal debuted with its first five episodes on Sky Atlantic earlier this month and was an immediate success. According to the very detailed press release Film Stories has received the series has become the biggest Sky Original series ever and scored the biggest launch of any Sky programme in over two years.

The series stars Eddie Redmayne as the titular Jackal, an expert assassin, and Lashana Lynch as the intelligence officer tasked with catching him. The Day Of The Jackal is based on Frederick Forsyth’s novel of the same name, which was also adapted into a film in 1973 with Edward Fox as the Jackal.

Another adaptation came in 1997. Titled The Jackal, Bruce Willis starred as an unnamed assassin, but the film otherwise...

Blasting its way to Peacock on November 14, 2024, The Day of the Jackal is a violent TV crime thriller following The Jackal (played by Eddie Redmayne), an ice-cold assassin known for accepting the most dangerous assignments for large sums of money. Redmayne follows Edward Fox and Bruce Willis in portraying the titular killer-for-hire. However, thanks to the long-form narrative, he is given much more leeway to craft the character in conjunction with the Frederick Forsyth novel.

Despite two attempts to adapt Frederick Forsyth's novel, one in 1973 and another in 1997, the 380-page tome covers too much to adapt as a two-hour movie. As such, the 10-episode TV adaptation is a perfect amount of time to develop the character, faithfully adapt the most significant plot points in the novel, and give fans the full experience that Forsyth conceived when it was published in 1971. Here's why The Day of the Jackal works best as a TV show.

This isn’t Fred Zinnemann’s “The Day of the Jackal,” but the Peacock series brings forth just as much thrill and action as the 1973 film.

The series is based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 novel of the same name, and it’s cast Eddie Redmayne to take on Edward Fox’s role as The Jackal. Redmayne also serves as one of the executive producers for the series.

“The Day of the Jackal” was directed by Brian Kirk (“Game of Thrones”) and was written by Ronan Bennet (“Top Boy”).

Check out everything you need to know about how to watch below.

When does “The Day of the Jackal” come out?

“The Day of the Jackal” premiered on Peacock with the first five episodes of the series on Thursday, Nov. 14. New episodes will drop weekly every Thursday until its double finale on Dec. 12.

Where is “The Day of the Jackal” streaming?

“The Day of the Jackal...

It's a common lament that there aren't enough original movies anymore, and that every film not belonging to a franchise is born of a pre-existing intellectual property that's likely been mined before. How many trips are we going to take back to Middle-earth? Are we really doing Harry Potter again? And another "Wuthering Heights" with a white Heathcliffe (when he's written as Black in Emily Brontë's novel)?

Yet some yarns are more durable than others. There's always room for another "Hamlet," because part of the thrill is in watching great actors and directors tackle one of the greatest plays ever written -- one that can be shifted from Denmark to locales like New York City, the Elsinore brewery, or Pride Rock. And no one's mad when one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries gets dusted off, even though we all know how the plot shakes out.

The Day of the Jackal, the upcoming action series led by Eddie Redmayne, is set to premiere on November 14, but the first critics' reviews are finally in, and we now have a baseline as to how the show stacks up to the original. The upcoming thriller series is a remake of the 1973 film of the same name starring Edward Fox and Terrance Alexander. The Day of the Jackal (2024) has premiered with a strong 93% score from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, even higher than the original Rotten Tomatoes score of 91% from the original. It's important to note that The Day of the Jackal's Rotten Tomatoes score is subject to change, as the embargo for the series has just lifted and more critics' reviews will certainly be coming in the following days.

Eddie Redmayne is no stranger to prosthetics but the variety of disguises he dons as a stone-cold assassin in “The Day of the Jackal” proved to be his most challenging physical transformation yet.

Episode 1 of the series, which landed in the U.K. on Sky on Nov. 7 and is set to hit Peacock in the U.S. on Nov. 14, opens with Redmayne infiltrating corporate headquarters disguised as an elderly German cleaner to take out a target.

For that one scene alone, the actor spent four hours in hair and make-up to age and change his face (a process overseen by make-up designer Melanie Lenihan and prosthetics designer Richard Martin) and donned a foam suit to bulk out his body. To top it off, the scene was shot during a blisteringly hot day in Hungary and there was no air-conditioning in the studio. “My overwhelming memory of those days was Richard...

Quick Links The Original The Day of the Jackal Is a Superior Police Procedural and Political Thriller Bruce Willis's 2007 Jackal Remake Is a Pale Imitation of the Original Eddie Redmayne Has Big Shoes to Fill in Replacing Edward Fox as the Jackal

The 1973 political thriller film The Day of the Jackal is the cinematic equivalent of a beautiful Swiss watch, a model of exquisite artistry and precision wrapped up in one of the best thriller movies of all time. The meticulous approach of The Day of the Jackal, which is based on Frederick Forsyths 1971 novel of the same name, is embodied in the films titular character, a professional assassin who operates with absolute emotional detachment and ruthless efficiency.

The Day of the Jackal, which was expertly directed by Fred Zinnemann, stars Edward Fox as said assassin, known only as the Jackal, who is hired by an underground French paramilitary...

It was only when the team at Carnival Films decided they would fast forward The Day of the Jackal to the present day that things started getting interesting.

Carnival bosses Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant had toyed with the idea of remaking Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 historical novel about the fictional assassination of Charles de Gaulle for a few years but had always concluded that the 1973 movie version starring Edward Fox “cannot be bettered so why would you want to remake it,” according to Neame.

“We revere the film enormously but kept talking about [a remake],” he added. “It was such an intriguing, interesting idea and we couldn’t quite let it go.”

So in the midst of the pandemic, Neame and Marchant decided they would instil two obvious points of difference by making The Day of the Jackal into a 10-episode series and setting it in a 21st century milieu, with no...

Episodes viewed: 10 of 10

Streaming on: Sky / Now

Fred Zinnemann’s admirably faithful 1973 adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s The Day Of The Jackal managed two rather unusual feats. It was, on the one hand, a surprising triumph of the mundane, with Michael Lonsdale’s methodical, shoe-leather approach to investigation paying dividends in what was essentially a nation-hopping police procedural. More interesting, though, was the way its dual Pov narrative encouraged audiences to root just as hard for Edward Fox’s cold-blooded assassin — a nameless cypher, about whom we end the film knowing almost nothing. It’s that latter point that Top Boy creator Ronan Bennett has seized upon with this modernised adaptation, electing to properly delve into the character of Forsyth’s chameleonic killer.

We become acquainted with Eddie Redmayne’s exceedingly British gun-for-hire via an extended prologue in which he meticulously sets up and executes a show-stopping kill. After baiting...

Are you looking for the next engrossing drama to binge? Peacock’s new 10-episode thriller The Day of the Jackal, premiering on November 14, 2024, stars Eddie Redmayne as a master assassin with ice water in his veins and the skill to take out what should be untouchable targets.

The first five episodes will stream on November 14th, with new episodes arriving on Thursdays leading up to its epic finale on December 12th.

The riveting drama is based on Frederick Forsyth’s acclaimed novel, previously adapted into an Oscar-nominated film starring Edward Fox in 1973. Redmayne stars as The Jackal, Lashana Lynch is Bianca, and Úrsula Corberó is Nuria. The supporting cast includes Charles Dance, Richard Dormer, Chukwudi Iwuji, Lia Williams, Khalid Abdalla, Eleanor Matsuura, Jonjo O’Neill, and Sule Rimi.

“An unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee,” reads Peacock’s synopsis.

I will fully admit that I’d never even heard of The Day of the Jackal until I knew I would have to write this review. I have essentially no experience with the original 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth (who’s also a producer on this), nor its 1973 film adaptation starring Edward Fox; so I cannot speak to how the series compares to either of those.

What I can speak to is that the show’s main hook of a lone assassin being pursued by an expert intelligence officer is a strong one in and of itself, especially with actors as talented as Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch in the lead roles. I can also speak to the fact that the show they’ve made does not live up to that potential in any manner whatsoever.

What is The Day of the Jackal about? Lashana Lynch as Bianca in The Day of the Jackal...

Eddie Redmayne addresses fan comparisons made between James Bond and his titular assassin, known by the code name Jackal, in the television remake of The Day of the Jackal. Based on Frederick Forsyth's 1971 novel of the same name, the latest thriller series takes another chance at adapting the story following the 1973 film adaptation headlined by Edward Fox. Ever since the trailer for the new Day of the Jackal dropped, viewers have been drawing comparisons between Redmayne's character and 007.

Redmayne told Metro that "it's deeply flattering" to be compared to Bond, but he'd rather "see someone else in the Bond movies" than him. He shared his enthusiasm for playing the Jackal specifically, which stems from his childhood, as he grew up watching the original movie. Check out what he said below:

Whenever anyone brings out the James Bond thing, its deeply flattering, but I love watching the Bond movies, and...

It’s been over 50 years since The Day Of The Jackal became a classic of the political thriller genre – a gripping cat-and-mouse pulse-raiser about a master assassin, known simply as ‘The Jackal’, and the officer intent on taking him down. Now, all these years later, the story returns in series form with a stellar duo in those predator-and-prey roles: Eddie Redmayne as the seemingly shape-shifting sniper, and Lashana Lynch as his law-abiding nemesis. The chase is back on.

As Redmayne tells Empire in the Mickey 17 issue, the series both updates the story, now set in the present day, while keeping the old-school nature at the heart of it. “What I love about [the show] is this thrilling, very contemporary quality,” he explains, “but it has that analogue spycraft.” And in series form, the audience really has time to get under the Jackal’s skin. “What Edward Fox does so stunningly [in the ’73 film] is...

Eddie Redmayne is set to take on a new and thrilling role in The Day of the Jackal, an upcoming series that reimagines the classic 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth. Scheduled to release on Peacock and Sky, this contemporary take on a timeless story brings a fresh perspective to the globe-trotting espionage thriller. Here’s everything we know about the highly anticipated series so far.

The Cast of The Day of the Jackal Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones in The Theory of Everything | Working Title Films

The star of The Day of the Jackal is Oscar-winner Eddie Redmayne, known for his roles in The Theory of Everything and The Good Nurse. In this series, he steps into the shoes of The Jackal, a lone assassin known for his precision and ability to remain unseen. Redmayne’s portrayal promises to be one of his most intense performances yet as he delves deep...

Alvin Rakoff, the Canadian-born filmmaker who directed Laurence Olivier in A Voyage Round My Father, has died. He was 97.

His death was confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter by his longtime publicist, Nick Pourgourides. He passed away on Oct. 12 surrounded by family at home in Chiswick, a neighborhood in London.

Rakoff as a writer, director and producer of over 100 TV, film and stage productions, as well as novels, directed Olivier and co-stars Alan Bates and Jane Asher in the 1982 TV drama A Voyage Round My Father, a film written by John Mortimer and which earned the director his second Emmy Award.

Alvin and Olivier also worked together on Mr. Halpern and Mr. Johnson and A Talent for Murder, both shot in 1983. The two-time Emmy Award winner also gave a young Sean Connery his first leading role in the 1957 film Requiem for a Heavyweight, and Alan Rickman as a young actor was...

Alvin Rakoff, the veteran Canadian filmmaker best known for pics like the 1982 feature A Voyage Round My Father starring Laurence Olivier, died in Chiswick, London, October 12 surrounded by his family. He was 97.

Rakoff’s former personal agent confirmed the news with Deadline this morning.

Born on on February 6, 1927, in Toronto Rakoff was the third of seven children. After graduating from the University of Toronto with a psychology degree, Rakoff spent time as a news reporter. His first job as a writer was with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), which later sponsored Rakoff to visit the UK. Within days of arriving, he sold his first fiction script to the BBC. He was soon invited to join the BBC’s director’s training course and, the following year at the age of twenty-six, Rakoff became the youngest producer/director in the BBC drama department.

As Rakoff once recalled: “I trained at the BBC as a director-producer.

Peacock has dropped the new trailer for The Day of the Jackal, a TV series based on Frederick Forsyth’s iconic spy novel of the same name.

The globe-trotting thriller stars Eddie Redmayne as an unrivalled and highly elusive assassin known only as the Jackal, 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 (Lashana Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.

In addition to Redmayne and Lynch, the series stars Úrsula Corberó (Snake Eyes), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Richard Dormer (Fortitude), Chukwudi Iwuji (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3), Lia Williams (The Crown), Khalid Abdalla (United 93), Eleanor Matsuura (The Walking Dead), and Jonjo O’Neill (Pennyworth). Ronan Bennett (Gunpowder) serves as writer and showrunner, with Brian Kirk (Game of Thrones) directing.

The wait is almost over! The Day of the Jackal is coming! A new official trailer just dropped, and we couldn’t be more pumped!

With Slow Horses Season 4 having just closed the books, we won’t have to wait much longer for something to fill that void.

From the trailer, it’s clear this series will be an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride — but would you expect anything less from such a classic tale?

(Peacock) A Classic Tale, Reimagined for Today’s World

Day of the Jackal is based on Frederick Forsyth’s 1971 bestselling novel, which was adapted into the iconic 1973 film starring Edward Fox.

However, Peacock’s take isn’t just a rehash. This version updates the action for today’s chaotic geopolitical landscape.

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"He's an exceptional assassin. He will kill again. Unless we stop him." Peacock has revealed the full official trailer for an assassin thriller series titled The Day of the Jackal arriving for streaming in November. Yes it's based on the book (and British movie) of the same name. The 1973 movie is also called The Day of the Jackal, starring Edward Fox, and it's adapted from the book by Frederick Forsyth. There's a 1997 Hollywood movie called The Jackal also about an assassin, borrowing the same story with a few alterations. The series is a bold, contemporary re-imagining of the beloved and respected novel & film - presented as a cat & mouse chase. While remaining true to the DNA of the original, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the life of the chameleon like "anti-hero" at the heart of the story, in a high octane, cinematic, globetrotting "cat & mouse" thriller, set amidst...

As many cinephiles already know, the 1970s was a fantastic time for paranoid political thrillers, assassin movies (“The American Friend”), and films based on the rising tide of terrorism (“Black Sunday”; in fact we devoted an entire feature to this genre several years ago). One film that covered all those bases and was pretty popular then was 1973’s “The Day Of The Jackal,” directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale.

Continue reading ‘Day Of The Jackal’ Trailer: Eddie Redmayne & Lashana Lynch Star In A Cat & Mouse Spy Peacock Series at The Playlist.

The Day of the Jackal has nearly arrived: The high-octane assassin thriller starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch has landed a new premiere date of Thursday, Nov. 14, TVLine has learned. Peacock also released additional photos from the series Wednesday, along with a fiery new trailer that showcases the intensity of the cat-and-mouse chase viewers are in store for.

In the trailer, posted above, Redmayne plays the highly skilled and highly elusive killer-for-hire known as the Jackal. “He never looks the same way twice,” Lynch’s intelligence officer marvels as we see him pull off a rubber mask. “But I know I can find him.