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The Day of the Jackal (TV series)

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The Day of the Jackal
Promotional poster
Genre
Created byRonan Bennett
Based onThe Day of the Jackal
by Frederick Forsyth
Starring
Opening theme"This Is Who I Am" by Celeste
ComposerVolker Bertelmann
Country of origin
  • United Kingdom
Original language
  • English
No. of series1
No. of episodes10
Production
Executive producers
  • Gareth Neame
  • Nigel Marchant
  • Eddie Redmayne
  • Brian Kirk
  • Ronan Bennett
  • Sue Naegle
  • Marianne Buckland
ProducerChristopher Hall
Running time46-73 minutes
Production companies
Budget£100 million[1]
Original release
Network
Release7 November 2024 (2024-11-07) –
present (present)

The Day of the Jackal is a British television series, based on the Frederick Forsyth novel of the same name. It stars Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch. It is written and created by Ronan Bennett, produced by Christopher Hall and directed by Brian Kirk, Anthony Philipson, Paul Wilmshurst and Anu Menon. The first season began airing in November 2024. That same month, it was renewed for a second season.

The Day of the Jackal received positive reviews from critics and received two Golden Globe Award nominations, Best Television Series - Drama and Best Actor for Redmayne.

Premise

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Reimagined into a contemporary political setting, this series is based on a classic novel which centres on a ruthless British assassin, known only as the "Jackal", and the intelligence officer intent on capturing him.[2]

Cast

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Main

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  • Eddie Redmayne as "The Jackal", an internationally renowned assassin who utilises a variety of disguises and aliases.
  • Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman, an MI6 agent, firearms expert, and former police officer in Section 303 who begins investigating the Jackal.
  • Úrsula Corberó as Nuria, the Jackal's Spanish wife who knows him as "Charles Calthrop".
  • Chukwudi Iwuji as Osita Halcrow, a senior MI6 official in Section 303 and Bianca's direct boss.
  • Khalid Abdalla as Ulle Dag Charles, a billionaire tech entrepreneur and activist who becomes the Jackal's target.
  • Lia Williams as Isabel Kirby, the MI6 Deputy Chief of Staff, Pullman and Halcrow’s superior in Section 303.
  • Eleanor Matsuura as Zina Jansone, a liaison between the Jackal and her employer, Winthrop.
  • Sule Rimi as Paul Pullman, an academic lecturer and Bianca's husband.
  • Ben Hall as Damian Richardson, an MI6 agent and colleague of Bianca's in Section 303.
  • Jonjo O'Neill as Edward Carver, a 'fixer' within MI6, investigating suspected leaks in Section 303.
  • Charles Dance as Timothy Winthrop, a powerful financier and the Jackal's latest employer.
  • Nick Blood as Vincent Pyne, an MI6 protection agent, former police and NCA officer and old friend of Bianca's.

Special guest stars

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Recurring

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  • Florisa Kamara as Jasmine Pullman, Bianca and Paul's daughter
  • Kate Dickie as Alison Stoke, Larry's wife and Bianca's covert source in Northern Ireland.
  • Puchi Lagarde as Marisa, Nuria's mother
  • Jon Arias as Alvaro, Nuria's brother.
  • Patrick O'Kane as Larry Stoke, Norman's brother and a criminal associated with loyalist paramilitaries.
  • Christy Meyer as Leonora Boggs, a fellow conspirator of Winthrop's.

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date [3]US airdate [4]
1"Episode 1"Brian KirkRonan Bennett7 November 2024 (2024-11-07)14 November 2024
The Jackal, a highly effective assassin, stages a false flag attack to wound Elias Fest, the son of far right German politician Manfred Fest. This draws the senior Fest into a hospital visit where the Jackal assassinates him with a record distance sniper rifle shot. Reviewing the footage of the Jackal leaving the scene, MI6 firearms expert Bianca Pullman realises he used a sniper rifle with a collapsable barrel. She theorises the weapon was made by Northern Irish gunsmith Norman Stoke. Meanwhile, an anonymous source offers the Jackal $10 million for a job. At an in-person meeting with the contact, Zina Jansone, he learns the target is billionaire Ulle Dag Charles, who is about to release a disruptive technology known as River. The Jackal demands $100 million to kill such a high-profile and well-protected target. After returning home to his wife Nuria, the person who commissioned the Jackal to assassinate Fest refuses to pay him. Meanwhile, Bianca attempts to force her Belfast contact, Allison, to find Stoke. When she is unsuccessful, Bianca has Allison's activist daughter, Emma, arrested. However, the plan backfires when Emma goes into cardiac arrest in custody.
2"Episode 2"Brian KirkRonan Bennett7 November 2024 (2024-11-07)14 November 2024
Bianca covers up Emma's death to force Allison to find Stoke. Under his alias, the Jackal spends time at his home in Spain with Nuria and their son, Carlito. However, he is forced to leave early when he receives a lead on the source of the withheld payment for the Fest assassination. After dropping the Jackal at the airport, Nuria spies him by chance after he briefly returns to their town to visit his bank, leading her to assume he is having an affair. Upon re-arriving in Munich, the Jackal is forced to divert to meet with Zina again, who confirms that her employer, Timothy Winthorp, has agreed to the Jackal's terms. However, she also informs him that the assassination must be completed within the month before Ulle can launch River; the Jackal agrees. After further investigation in Munich, the Jackal discovers Elias was the one who hired him and is refusing to pay him after being shot. Meanwhile, pursuing her investigation of the assassin, Bianca theorises he is British and former British Army. Allison obtains Stoke's phone number, and Bianca is deployed to Belarus to arrest him. The operation goes awry, however, and Stoke kills two of Bianca's colleagues before escaping, leading Bianca to believe he was tipped off.
3"Episode 3"Brian KirkRonan Bennett7 November 2024 (2024-11-07)14 November 2024
In the aftermath of the Belarus operation, Bianca uses a recovered suitcase from Norman's location to prove he made a collapsible sniper rifle that could be smuggled through customs. Her superiors, Isabel Kirby and Osita Halcrow, keep her on the investigation. MI6 fixer Carver begins investigating the source of the Belarus leak, with Bianca, her colleague Damian and Kirby and Halcrow under suspicion. In Germany, as the Jackal prepares to infiltrate Manfred's funeral to reach Elias, he calls Nuria. She confronts him about her sighting of him. He attempts to prove he isn't having an affair, but Nuria remains suspicious. With the help of her mother and brother, she searches the Jackal's home office. They find a hidden vault. Allison and her husband Larry arrive in London to identify Emma's body. Allison angrily rebukes Bianca whilst Norman contacts Larry and reveals what happened to him. Larry confronts Allison and assaults her upon learning she's a mole. The Jackal infiltrates Manfred's funeral and abducts Elias to confront him before shooting him dead. Following a lead, Bianca discovers the assassin's codename: Jackal. Nuria and her family break into the vault, which the Jackal sees via CCTV as he leaves Germany.
4"Episode 4"Anthony PhilipsonRonan Bennett7 November 2024 (2024-11-07)14 November 2024
Returning from Munich through France, the Jackal gets into a minor car accident and is forced to kill a motorist and police officer to escape. MI6 become aware that the Jackal has been hired again, although they are unaware of the target's identity. Investigating him further, Bianca finds that the only British Army veteran capable of making the shot, Alexander Duggan, is thought dead from an IED explosion in Afghanistan in 2013. The Jackal convinces Nuria to join him in Paris, where he claims he is a troubleshooter engaging in corporate espionage, winning her trust. Despite concerns about blowback from Elias' murder, Winthrop and his conspirators decide to retain the Jackal's services for the plot against Ulle. Meanwhile, Larry kills Allison and draws Bianca into a trap. She narrowly escapes with the help of protection agent Vincent Pyne, who she asks to have reassigned to her team. She returns home to find Larry has taken her daughter Jasmine hostage. Bianca shoots and wounds Larry and is only refrained from killing him by Jasmine. The Jackal arrives in Tallinn to commence preparations, nearly falling to his death when scouting the venue for Ulle's launch of River. Returning to his hotel room, he finds Zina has tracked him down.
5"Episode 5"Anthony PhilipsonJessica Sinyard7 November 2024 (2024-11-07)14 November 2024
In Tallinn, the Jackal is forced to include Zina in his planning. In Spain, Nuria grows more sceptical of his story. The Jackal contacts Stoke to craft a weapon for Ulle's assassination. However, as Norman was wounded escaping Bianca, the Jackal travels to Budapest to help him assemble the gun. They build the weapon with a 3D printer to hide in an orthopedic boot. Stoke confesses he was helped to escape by someone in MI6. Back in London, in the aftermath of Larry's attack, Bianca's husband and daughter leave home. Bianca and Vincent torture Larry for Stoke's location. Learning he is in Budapest, Bianca also uncovers that Ulle is the Jackal's target. MI6 tracks Stoke's location, prompting Bianca and Vincent to arrive in Budapest. The Jackal sees them approaching Stoke's workshop and warns him but Stoke is captured. The Jackal is forced to kill Stoke to cover his tracks before narrowly escaping Bianca's pursuit. However, he is knocked out by a farmer whilst hiding in a barn.
6"Episode 6"Paul WilmshurstCharles Cumming14 November 2024 (2024-11-14)21 November 2024
Taken prisoner by the farmer Attila, the Jackal attempts to negotiate his release. When this fails, he kills Attila and his brother Gabor before taking farmhand Laszlo hostage to escape. Bianca's team learn of the deaths and begin investigating. The Jackal calls Nuria to confess he might not make it home. She offers to help him by coming to Budapest. Ulle, preparing for the launch of River, faces pushback from his board, which he ignores. Arriving back in Budapest amidst a national manhunt for him, the Jackal releases Laszlo rather than kill him, threatening him into silence. Nuria arrives in the city and helps the Jackal disguise himself as an elderly wheelchair user to get through customs. Ironically, he is seated behind Bianca on the flight to Tallinn. Upon arrival, the Jackal lures and seduces Rasmus, a worker he previously met at the venue.
7"Episode 7"Paul WilmshurstShyam Popat21 November 2024 (2024-11-21)28 November 2024
The Jackal asks Zina for help dealing with Bianca and Vincent. Zina sends a hit squad to attack them outside the British embassy, but Bianca and Vincent kill the attackers. Nuria’s brother, Alvaro, takes a large amount of money and a gun from the Jackal’s vault for a business deal, observed by the Jackal covertly on camera. The Jackal, posing as an architect, continues deceiving Rasmus to gain access to the venue. A police officer identifies the Jackal from an identikit. Bianca and Vincent raid his former Airbnb, but he is staying with Rasmus. The Jackal infiltrates the venue and uses the building schematics Rasmus had given him to find a hiding spot, arriving before Ulle’s security team locks down the building two days ahead of time. As he waits, he reminisces about the beginnings of his relationship with Nuria. The launch begins, and the Jackal goes into position to fire his shot. However, seconds before he gets his opportunity, another assassin attempts to shoot Ulle, ruining the Jackal’s chance. He escapes but is forced to kill Rasmus in the process.
8"Episode 8"Paul WilmshurstRonan Bennett28 November 2024 (2024-11-28)5 December 2024
The conspirators and Ulle scramble to keep their plans on track after the assassination attempt. Bianca turns back to the Alexander Duggan theory. Kirby lobbies Foreign Secretary Jeremy Whitelock to declassify Duggan’s Army file. Nuria sees a news broadcast with the identikit image of the Jackal and calls him, realising he’s an assassin. Bianca visits Larry in prison, but he commits suicide in front of her. Halcrow is detained on suspicion of being the mole. In flashbacks, the Jackal, revealed to be Duggan, is a sniper in a squad arresting and eliminating al-Qaeda leaders in Afghanistan. Alexander and his spotter, Gary, travel to Cyprus to undertake a freelance assassination on the British-controlled military base at Akrotiri. An operation to arrest a senior al-Qaeda leader goes awry when Duggan’s squad massacres a wedding party and covers it up. Disgusted by their war crimes, Duggan kills the squad with a car bomb, save for Gary, and fakes his death.
9"Episode 9"Anu MenonRonan Bennett5 December 2024 (2024-12-05)12 December 2024
The Jackal returns to Croatia to observe the security arrangements at Ulle's island home. Zina confronts him about his failure in Tallinn. Returning to Spain, the Jackal is confronted by Nuria. He admits he is an assassin and promises to quit after the hit on Ulle. Alvaro sets up a business meeting between the Jackal and a local gangster, Jimmie. Nuria panics, given Jimmie's brutal reputation. The Jackal fatally shoots Jimmie from a long distance to resolve any threat. Kirby ends the MI6 investigation under orders from Whitelock, who secretly works with Winthrop. Halcrow remains under suspicion. After failing to reconcile with Paul, Bianca's curiosity is piqued by seeing a report of Jimmie's death. The Jackal travels to Croatia, positioning himself on a boat to shoot Ulle during his morning swim. He kills Ulle's security detail and then shoots him dead before fleeing the area.
10"Episode 10"Anu MenonRonan Bennett12 December 2024 (2024-12-12)12 December 2024
With Ulle dead and River halted, Bianca quits MI6. However, she is lured back by Kirby to assassinate the Jackal. Kirby is acting under orders from Whitelock, as the conspirators want to tie up all loose ends. The Jackal sustains several wounds while hijacking multiple vehicles during his attempts to leave Croatia, ultimately kidnapping an elderly couple. He is forced to kill them when they attempt to overpower him. Bianca and Vincent, now acting without official cover, stake out the Jackal's Spanish estate. Nuria abandons the house with Carlito as she realises they are no longer safe. The Jackal returns home and finds them missing. Bianca and Vincent enter the house and kill Alvaro when he startles them. The Jackal kills Vince, and then, following a standoff, Bianca. Fleeing the house, the Jackal is attacked by Winthrop's men. In the aftermath, Kirby is promoted to Chief, but Halcrow is aware of her duplicity thanks to a final text message from Bianca. In Budapest, a wounded Jackal meets with Zina, who also escaped an attempt on her life. She reveals Winthrop's identity as his employer for the hit on Ulle. The Jackal agrees to exact revenge but heads off in search of Nuria and Carlito first.

Production

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The project for Carnival Films with Sky and Peacock was announced in November 2022.[5] The screenwriter Ronan Bennett was set as writer and showrunner, with Brian Kirk as the lead director,[6] followed by Anthony Philipson, Paul Wilmshurst and Anu Menon. Charles Cumming, Jessica Sinyard and Shyam Popat joined the writer's room in July 2022. Christopher Hall produced all episodes. Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch, Ronan Bennett, Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant and Marianne Buckland are executive producers.[7] The series is a reimagining of the source text with the story given a modern setting, with Redmayne describing it as "a completely different piece" that has "been reconceived and contemporised with a new target". The series also gives more of an insight into the Jackal as a protagonist and Redmayne said he chose the project because "the idea of getting to spend a proper amount of time with this enigma felt like great material to mine".[8]

On 22 November 2024, the programme was renewed for a second series.[9]

Casting

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Redmayne was revealed to be in the cast in March 2023.[10] In June 2023, Lashana Lynch joined the cast.[11] Additional casting including Úrsula Corberó, Charles Dance, Richard Dormer and Chukwudi Iwuji was announced in February 2024.[12]

Filming

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Filming for the series, taking place in four countries and expected to last seven months, was started in June 2023.[13] The shoot began in Budapest, Hungary and its neighbouring regions.[14][15] Filming took place in Vienna in July 2023.[16] Filming took place in the autumn of 2023 in Croatia.[17] Croatian locations include Rijeka, Pag, Opatija, and the central Istrian region.[18] The external shots of The Jackal's property were filmed in Rabac, Croatia.[19]

Broadcast

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The ten-episode series premiered on 7 November 2024, airing in the United Kingdom on Sky Atlantic and Now, and streaming on Peacock in the United States.[20][21] NBCUniversal Global Distribution distributes the series internationally outside of Sky's markets, airing through its agreements with Foxtel (Australia), Showcase (Canada), JioCinema (India), Showmax (Africa), TVNZ+ (New Zealand), Disney+ (Latin America) and SkyShowtime (Europe) among others.[22] Subsequent episodes were released weekly, concluding on 12 December. NBC is set to broadcast the pilot on US television on 30 December 2024.[23]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Day of the Jackal has an approval rating of 85% based on 47 reviews. The website's consensus reads: "A globetrotting thriller made eerily plausible by Eddie Redmayne's reptilian performance, The Day of the Jackal turns dark deeds into good fun."[24] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 72 out of 100 based on 28 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.[25]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Golden Globe Awards 5 January 2025 Best Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Series - Drama Eddie Redmayne Pending [26]
Best Television Series - Drama The Day of the Jackal Pending
Critics Choice Awards 12 January 2025 Best Actor in a Drama Series Eddie Redmayne Pending [27]
Best Drama Series The Day of the Jackal Pending

References

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  1. ^ Rigley, Stephen (7 November 2024). "Day of the Jackal: Real story behind new TV big money remake". LBC. Retrieved 12 December 2024.
  2. ^ White, Peter (21 March 2023). "Eddie Redmayne To Lead 'The Day Of The Jackal' Series For Peacock & Sky". Hollywood Deadline. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  3. ^ "Watch The Day of the Jackal on Sky Atlantic". Sky. Retrieved 15 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Shows A-Z - day of the jackal, the on peacock". The Futon Critic. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  5. ^ Ravindran, Manori (3 November 2022). "'Day of the Jackal' Spy Thriller to Be Reimagined as TV Series for Peacock, Sky". Variety. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  6. ^ Shiristy (3 November 2022). "The Day of the Jackal' TV Series Adaptation Ordered at Peacock". Collider. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  7. ^ Ritman, Alex (21 March 2023). "Eddie Redmayne to Lead 'Day of the Jackal' TV Adaptation for Sky, Peacock". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  8. ^ Cormack, Morgan (30 September 2024). "Eddie Redmayne confirms changes to Day of the Jackal reboot from original". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  9. ^ Porter, Rick (22 November 2024). "'Day of the Jackal' Renewed for Second Season at Peacock and Sky". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 November 2024.
  10. ^ "Eddie Redmayne Starring In Day Of The Jackal TV Adaptation". Empire. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 20 April 2023.
  11. ^ Otterson, Joe (2 June 2023). "Lashana Lynch Joins Eddie Redmayne in 'Day of the Jackal' Series at Sky, Peacock (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  12. ^ Szalai, George (23 February 2024). "Úrsula Corberó, Charles Dance, Richard Dormer Join Eddie Redmayne in The Day of the Jackal Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
  13. ^ Rajput, Priyanca (19 June 2023). "Eddie Redmayne's The Day of the Jackal begins European shoot". kftv. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  14. ^ "2023 film and high-end TV productions shooting in the UK: latest updates, strike status". screendaily.com. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  15. ^ Nemzet, Magyar (16 August 2023). "Hollywood Magyarországon: híres krimi forog Selypen és Zagyvavásztón". Hollywood Magyarországon: híres krimi forog Selypen és Zagyvavásztón (in Hungarian). Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  16. ^ verena.richter (26 July 2023). "Star Eddie Redmayne dreht für Sky gerade heimlich in Wien". kurier.at (in German). Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  17. ^ Anderton, Joe (7 November 2023). "Eddie Redmayne stars in first look at new show from Top Boy boss". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  18. ^ Thomas, Mark (19 September 2023). "Eddie Redmayne to Film 'The Day of the Jackal' Sequel in Croatia, Starting in Dubrovnik". Dubrovnik Times. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  19. ^ Dickinson, Greg (18 December 2024). "You can rent the spectacular mansion from Day of the Jackal (but it isn't in Spain)". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  20. ^ "The Day of the Jackal release date, plot and trailer for Sky remake". Radio Times. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  21. ^ "See Eddie Redmayne in 'The Day of the Jackal' first-look teaser trailer". EW.com. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  22. ^ Barraclough, Leo (24 October 2024). "Eddie Redmayne Thriller 'The Day of the Jackal' Sold to Nearly 200 Territories by NBCU (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  23. ^ Rice, Lynette (13 December 2024). "'The Day Of The Jackal' Pilot To Air On NBC". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  24. ^ "The Day of the Jackal: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  25. ^ "The Day of the Jackal: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved 8 November 2024.
  26. ^ Barnard, Matthew (9 December 2024). "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 82nd ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES®". Golden Globes. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  27. ^ "TELEVISION NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR THE 30TH ANNUAL CRITICS CHOICE AWARDS – Critics Choice Awards". Retrieved 9 December 2024.

See also

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