The Day of the Jackal: Why This Assassin Story Keeps Coming Back to Haunt Us

There’s something strange about a story that keeps getting told every few decades and somehow still feels fresh each time. The Day of the Jackal is one of those rare properties. It started as a 1971 novel, became a genuinely tense 1973 film, got loosely reimagined in a 1997 Hollywood action movie, and then, in 2024, was reborn again as a slick, modern spy thriller series on Peacock and Sky. If you searched for “The Day of the Jackal” recently, chances are you landed here because of that newest version, and that’s what most of this article is going to focus on. But it’s worth understanding the whole family tree, because a lot of the confusion online comes from people mixing up the book, the original film, the Bruce Willis movie, and the current TV show.

Quick Overview: What Exactly Is The Day of the Jackal?

At its core, every version of this story follows the same basic idea: a professional assassin, known only as “the Jackal,” is hired to kill a major political or public figure, and a determined investigator spends the rest of the story trying to identify and stop him before he can pull the trigger.

The original source material is a 1971 political thriller novel written by Frederick Forsyth, a British author and former journalist. Forsyth’s book imagined a plot to assassinate French President Charles de Gaulle, and it was praised for how procedurally detailed and realistic it felt, almost like a manual for how a professional hit could actually be planned.

That novel became the basis for:

• The Day of the Jackal (1973) – the original film adaptation, directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox as the Jackal.
• The Jackal (1997) – a loose, heavily altered Hollywood remake starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere, set in the United States with a very different plot involving a fictional First Lady as the target.
• The Day of the Jackal (2024– ) – a modern television adaptation from Sky and Peacock, starring Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal.

If you’re mainly here because of a trailer, a recommendation, or a headline from the last year or two, you’re almost certainly thinking of the 2024 series, so let’s dig into that one properly.

The 2024 TV Series: Premise and Setting

The Peacock and Sky series takes the bones of Forsyth’s novel and drags them firmly into the present day. Instead of a Cold War-era assassination plot, this version follows an elite, highly skilled contract killer known as the Jackal, played by Eddie Redmayne, who takes on high-paying hits for wealthy and powerful clients.

After carrying out a job early in the story, he draws the attention of Bianca Pullman, a sharp and relentless British intelligence officer played by Lashana Lynch. What follows is a cat-and-mouse pursuit that stretches across multiple European cities, with Bianca inching closer to identifying and catching him while he tries to stay one step ahead and finish his next commission.

The series was created and written by Ronan Bennett, with Brian Kirk directing multiple episodes alongside Paul Wilmshurst and Anu Menon. It’s a co-production between Sky Studios and Universal International Studios, with production also involving Carnival Film and Television, the studio behind Downton Abbey, which explains a lot of the show’s polish and scale. Reports have pointed to a substantial production budget, reportedly around £100 million for the first season, which shows up on screen in the show’s globe-hopping locations and production design.

The first season consists of 10 episodes, and it premiered on Sky Atlantic in the UK on November 7, 2024, followed by a Peacock premiere in the US on November 14, 2024. Peacock released the first five episodes together, then rolled out the rest weekly, ending with a two-part finale in December 2024.

Cast and Characters

The cast is one of the biggest selling points here, and it’s stacked with recognizable names.

• Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal, whose real identity is eventually revealed over the course of the season as Alexander Duggan.
• Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman, the MI6 officer leading the hunt for him.
• Úrsula Corberó in a key supporting role.
• Charles Dance, Chukwudi Iwuji, Khalid Abdalla, Lia Williams, Eleanor Matsuura, Richard Dormer, and Jonjo O’Neill round out a deep supporting cast.

Frederick Forsyth himself was credited as a consulting producer on the series before his death, which gave the adaptation a direct link back to the original source material rather than being a reimagining done at arm’s length.

What the Series Does Well

The performances are the strongest part of this show, and critics have largely agreed on that point. Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal as someone unsettlingly calm and methodical, a man who treats killing as a technical craft rather than an act of passion. That coldness is what makes him compelling to watch, and it also mirrors the tone of Forsyth’s original novel, which was always more interested in precision and planning than in melodrama.

The show has also been recognized for its cinematography and production values, earning award attention including an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Cinematography for a Series. The series holds a “Certified Fresh” score on Rotten Tomatoes, sitting around 85 percent from critics, which is a strong showing for a first season of a new thriller.

Beyond the awards and reviews, what makes the show work on a basic level is the structure of the chase itself. Because the audience already knows who the Jackal is from the start, the tension doesn’t come from a mystery about identity. It comes from watching two competent people try to outthink each other, which is a different and in some ways more satisfying kind of suspense than a whodunit.

Where the Series Falls Short

No adaptation is without its rough patches, and this one has a few worth mentioning honestly rather than glossing over.

A recurring criticism from viewers has centered on Lashana Lynch’s performance as Bianca, with some audience reviews describing her portrayal as stiff or less convincing compared to Redmayne’s work as the Jackal. This is clearly a matter of personal taste, since plenty of other viewers and critics have praised her role in the show, but it’s a common enough talking point that it’s worth flagging if you’re deciding whether to watch.

Some viewers have also pointed to pacing issues and occasional plot inconsistencies across the ten episodes, which isn’t unusual for a first season trying to balance globe-trotting action with slower character-driven scenes. If you’re expecting nonstop action in every episode, you might find some stretches slower than others, since the show spends real time on Bianca’s investigative process and on the Jackal’s personal life away from his job.

Is The Day of the Jackal Based on a True Story?

This is one of the most common questions people search for, and the answer is no. Neither the original novel, the 1973 film, nor the 2024 series is based on real historical events or a real assassin. Forsyth’s novel imagined a fictional plot against a real historical figure, Charles de Gaulle, but the character of the Jackal and the plot itself are fictional. The modern series moves even further from any historical basis, inventing an entirely contemporary story and cast of characters.

How the 2024 Series Differs From the Original Film and Novel

If you’ve seen the 1973 film or read the novel, you’ll notice the TV series takes real liberties. The setting has been updated to the present day, the target and the specific plot are different, and the show introduces an ongoing, serialized structure that a two-hour film simply couldn’t accommodate. The season also makes changes toward its ending that depart from Forsyth’s novel, which only ever had one book about the Jackal character. Those changes appear to be intentional, designed to leave the door open for future seasons rather than wrapping the story up in a single, self-contained arc the way the original film did.

Is There a Season 2?

Yes. The Day of the Jackal was renewed for a second season shortly after its first season finished airing in December 2024, and Eddie Redmayne has confirmed he’s returning in the role. Production on Season 2 reportedly got underway in Budapest, Hungary in early 2026, and new cast additions have been reported, including Matt Bomer, Pablo Schreiber, and Weruche Opia joining in expanded or new roles.

As of the most recent official update, NBCUniversal has confirmed the second season is targeted for a 2027 release, though an exact premiere date has not yet been announced. Since the novel only covers one story, Season 2 is expected to move into entirely new, original territory rather than adapting any further Forsyth material.

Who Should Watch The Day of the Jackal

This series is a good fit if you enjoy:

• Slow-building spy thrillers rather than pure shoot-em-up action
• Character-driven cat-and-mouse plots, similar in spirit to shows built around a hunter and a hunted
• Strong lead performances carrying a story, even when the surrounding plot has some bumps
• European settings and a globe-trotting visual style

It’s probably not the best fit if you want fast-paced, episode-by-episode action with little downtime, since the show takes its time developing both lead characters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Day of the Jackal a movie or a TV show? Both exist. The original 1973 film and a loosely related 1997 movie called The Jackal came first. The version most people are searching for now is the 2024 TV series starring Eddie Redmayne, which runs for 10 episodes in its first season.

Where can I watch The Day of the Jackal 2024 series? The series is available to stream on Peacock in the United States and premiered on Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom.

Who plays the Jackal in the 2024 series? Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal, whose real name is revealed during the season to be Alexander Duggan.

Is the 2024 series a remake of the 1973 film? It’s more accurate to call it a modern reimagining. It’s based on the same 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel as the 1973 film, but it updates the setting, plot, and characters for a present-day, serialized television format.

Will there be a Season 2 of The Day of the Jackal? Yes, Season 2 has been confirmed with Eddie Redmayne returning, and production began in early 2026. NBCUniversal has stated a 2027 release window, though a specific date hasn’t been set yet.

Is the Jackal based on a real assassin? No. The character and story are entirely fictional, even though the original novel involves a plot against a real historical figure.

Final Thoughts

What keeps pulling people back to The Day of the Jackal, decade after decade, is the simplicity of its core idea. A skilled killer versus a skilled hunter, with everything riding on who blinks first. The 2024 series doesn’t reinvent that formula so much as dress it up for a modern audience, and for the most part, it works, thanks largely to Eddie Redmayne’s performance and the show’s confident, well-shot production. It’s not a flawless season of television, and some of the pacing and supporting performances have drawn fair criticism, but as a slow-burn spy thriller with real ambition, it’s earned the wait for Season 2.