Actor Eddie Redmayne has been cast in The Day of the Jackal, Peacock and Sky’s upcoming series adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s popular novel and Fred Zinnemann’s 1973 film of the same name.
Sky TV on Monday announced the news on Twitter and wrote, “Casting Announcement 📢 Eddie Redmayne to star in our new Sky Original series #TheDayOfTheJackal”
The Oscar, Tony and BAFTA winner will play the Jackal himself in the Sky/Peacock original series, which was portrayed by Edward Fox in the original film. Redmayne, who recently landed BAFTA, SAG and Golden Globe nominations for Netflix’s The Good Nurse, will also executive produce the thriller series.
Ronan Bennett serves as showrunner of the upcoming series which hails from Universal International’s Carnival Films and was commissioned by Sky Studios and Peacock. 21 Bridges director Brian Kirk will helm the series. Carnival CEO Gareth Neame alongside Nigel Marchant and Sam Hoyle for Sky serve as executive producers. Marianne Buckland is the co-executive producer, while Forsyth serves as consulting producer and Christopher Hall is the producer.
According to a The Hollywood Reporter report, The Day of the Jackal is being billed as a “bold, modern reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film.” While staying true to the DNA of the original story, which was set in 1962 and based on attempts to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon-like “antihero” at the heart of the story in a “high octane, cinematic, globetrotting ‘cat and mouse’ thriller,” set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time.
1973’s The Day of the Jackal is about a professional assassin known only as the ‘Jackal’ who is hired to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1962. The film also featured Michel Lonsdale, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton and Derek Jacobi. It is ranked as the 74th greatest British film of the 20th century by the British Film Institute.
