Eddie Redmayne is set to executive produce and star in Sky and Peacock’s new television series “The Day of the Jackal.”
The series, which is based on the seminal Frederick Forsyth thriller and subsequent award-winning 1973 film adaptation of the same name from Universal Pictures, will see the Academy, Tony and BAFTA award-winning actor take on the lead role of the Jackal.
According to Peacock and Sky, the series, which will begin production later this year, is a “bold, modern reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film.”
“While staying true to the DNA of the original story, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’ 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,” the companies said in a news release.
In addition to Redmayne, the series will be executive produced by Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant from Universal International Studios’ Carnival Films (“Downton Abbey” and “The Last Kingdom”) and Sam Hoyle from Sky Studio. Frederick Forsyth will serve as Consulting Producer and Christopher Hall is Producer.
Irish screenwriter and novelist Ronan Bennett (“Top Boy,” “Gunpowder,” “Face,” “Public Enemies”) is attached as writer and showrunner, while Brian Kirk (“Game of Thrones,” “Luther,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “21 Bridges”) is set to direct.
“The Day of the Jackal” will be available on Peacock in the U.S. and on Sky in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Austria. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will handle international sales of the series.
Redmayne most recently received critical acclaim leading to BAFTA, SAG and Golden Globe nominations for his chilling performance in Netflix’s “The Good Nurse,” starring opposite Jessica Chastain. He previously gave his Academy Award winning performance in “The Theory of Everything” and has starred in award-winning projects including “The Trial of The Chicago Seven,” “The Danish Girl” and “Les Miserables.”
In 2022, he led a West End revival of “Cabaret” alongside Academy Award nominee Jessie Buckley as The Emcee, for which he went on to win the Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical. The show won a record breaking seven Olivier awards total including Musical Revival. He has also graced the stage in “The Goat or Who is Sylvia?,” “Now or Later,” “Richard II” and “Red,” for which he also won Tony and Olivier Awards.
Redmayne is repped by CAA, United Agents and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein.
