Peacock's upcoming thriller series The Day of the Jackal is one of this fall’s most hotly anticipated new shows.
Starring Eddie Redmayne as the titular elite assassin and Lashana Lynch as the British intelligence officer hot on his trail, the series is based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth, as well as its 1973 film adaptation, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale.
Where can you watch Peacock's new series,The Day of the Jackal?
The first five episodes ofThe Day of the Jackal are now streaming exclusivelyon Peacock. The remaining five will follow every week until the double-sized finale Thursday, December 12.
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The entire series consists of 10 episodes; the first five will be released November 14. Subsequent episodes drop on Thursdays: Episode 6 on November 21, Episode 7 on November 28, Episode 8 on December 5, and then the series concludes with a two-episode finale December 12.
What is The Day of the Jackal based on?
The Jackal (Eddie Redmayne) in The Day of The Jackal Episode 101. Photo: Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited
Forsyth’s original novel, as well as the film version, took place in the 1960s. Forsyth was inspired by the the real-life1962 assassination attempt against Charles de Gaulle, the President of France at the time. In both the real world and in the story, the assassination was backed by a French far-right terrorist group called the Organisation armée secrète (meaning “secret army organization”), also known as the OAS, which opposed de Gaulle for his stances on France’s relationship with Algeria.
Algeria had been colonized by France for over a century, but following a war for independence, de Gaulle signed the Evian Accords, which brought an end to the war, and made Algeria a fully independent nation. The attempted assassin, a French Air Force lieutenant colonel named Jean Bastien-Thiry, was captured and executed.
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In the original The Day of the Jackal novel and film, the plot picks up after these real-world events. Diverging from real life, the story sees the fictionalized OAS hiring an expert British assassin, known by the code name “Jackal,” to make another attempt on de Gaulle’s life, hoping he would succeed where Bastien-Thiry failed. He finds himself in a deadly cat and mouse game with Claude Lebel, an expert French detective.
What is Peacock'sThe Day of the Jackal about?
Peacock’s upcoming The Day of the Jackalseries puts a modern spin on the original story. It’s now set in the present day, and does not center on the French political machinations that underpinned Forsyth’s novel. Rather than targeting the French president, Eddie Redmayne’s version of the Jackal targets Ulle Dag Charles (Khalid Abdalla), a tech entrepreneur whose new software threatens to unveil the finances of the world’s wealthiest individuals. Bianca (Lashana Lynch), a British intelligence officer, finds herself on the Jackal’s tail, and they engage in a chase that takes them all across Europe.
Who stars in The Day of the Jackal?
Nuria (Ursula Corbero) in The Day of The Jackal Episode 105. Photo: Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited
The series stars Academy Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal. You might also recognize him from his performances in Les Misérables, The Theory of Everything(for which he won the Best Actor Oscar) or the Fantastic Beasts series. Opposite Redmayne is Lashana Lynch, who audiences might know from her roles in Captain Marvel, No Time to Die, and Bob Marley: One Love.
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Úrsula Corberó (Money Heist, Snake Eyes, Mr. & Mrs. Smith) portrays Nuria, the Jackal’s love interest, whom he keeps in the dark about his true occupation. Khalid Abdalla (The Kite Runner, Moon Knight, The Crown) plays the Jackal’s target, tech entrepreneur Ulle Dag Charles.
Rounding out the show’s ensemble are Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, The Crown), Richard Dormer (Game of Thrones, Good Vibrations), Chukwudi Iwuji (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Peacemaker), Lia Williams (The Crown, His Dark Materials), Elanor Matsuura (The Walking Dead, Wonder Woman), and Jonjo O’Neill (The Queen’s Gambit, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs).
Who created The Day of the Jackal?
While the series is based on Forsyth’s original novel, Peacock’s new series was written by Ronan Bennett. Bennett is a Northern Irish novelist and screenwriter whose work includes the series Top Boy and the 2009 Michael Mann-directed film Public Enemies. The series was directed by Brian Kirk, who also hails from Northern Ireland and has directed episodes of shows including Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire, and Luther, as well as the film 21 Bridges, which stars Chadwick Boseman.
The first five episodes ofThe Day of the Jackal are now streaming exclusivelyon Peacock.
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