News

Eddie Redmayne will be back as the Jackal.

Peacock and Sky renewed hit man drama The Day of the Jackal for a second season earlier this month and the streamer and British broadcaster confirmed that Redmayne will return.

It comes as little surprise given that Redmayne is the main character of the drama series and [Spoiler Alert] seemingly emerges relatively unscathed at the end of the first season in the dramatic and twist-heavy finale.

The splashy 10-part adaptation starred Redmayne and Lashana Lynch and has been rating well on both sides of the pond.

Adapted by Ronan Bennett from the hit Frederick Forsyth novel, Season 1 follows an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest ***, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe,...

NBC will attempt to whet the appetites of viewers who have yet to subscribe to sister platform Peacock by airing the first episode of The Day of the Jackal.

The episode will air Monday, Dec. 30 at 10 p.m. Et/Pt. The drama that streams on Peacock follows assassin/Jackal (Eddie Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest ***, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.

The series has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series and star Redmayne was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in Television Series. The Critics Choice Awards also nominated the show for Best Drama Series and for Redmayne for Best Actor.

The series has already been renewed...

Peacock and Sky Original thriller series The Day of the Jackal has been renewed for a second season. The series launched globally to critical acclaim and was a hit with viewers around the world.

The Day of the Jackal ranked #1 on Peacock’s Top 10 TV Shows on its platform and was a Top 5 streaming original in the US for its opening weekend. In the UK, the series has become the biggest Sky Original ever and the biggest launch on Sky in over two years, drawing a record audience of three million viewers in its first week.

In Sky Group markets Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Ireland, the series is the biggest ever debut for a UK Sky Original. In Australia, the series has become the highest rated new series launch of this year for Fox Showcase.

The series has sold to almost 200 territories globally, including SkyShowtime across Europe; Disney+ in...

“The Day of the Jackal,” Peacock and Sky’s original thriller series starring Eddie Redmayne, has been renewed for a second season.

The series centers on the titular Jackal (Redmayne), a chameleon-like contract killer “who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee,” as the show’s synopsis states. “But following his latest ***, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch), who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake.”

“The Day of the Jackal” launched Nov. 14 to critical and commercial acclaim and has sold to almost 200 territories around the world. In Variety‘s review, critic Aramide Tinubu called it a “truly engaging drama,” adding: “Meticulously presented and beautifully detailed, the series is a breathless adventure until the very end.”

The 10-episode series is currently airing, with the last episode set to premiere on Dec.

The Day of the Jackal will go on for more days at Peacock and Sky.

The NBCUniversal-owned streamer and U.K. broadcaster Sky have renewed The Day of the Jackal, a thriller starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch, for a second season. The pickup comes on the heels of a successful launch both in the U.K. and the United States. The series drew 3 million viewers in its first week on Sky Atlantic, the best series debut there in two years. On Peacock, the show ranked among the top five original streaming series in the U.S. for its opening weekend, based on preliminary Nielsen data.

The series is based on a 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth, which was previously adapted into a 1973 feature film. The series follows a cat-and-mouse game between a chameleonic assassin (Eddie Redmayne) and an MI6 agent (Lashana Lynch) who’s determined to catch him.

There...

Peacock and Sky have a second season of The Day of the Jackal in their crosshairs.

The splashy 10-part adaptation starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch has been rating well on both sides of the pond, and the renewal comes just over a week after its premiere.

Adapted by Ronan Bennett from the hit Frederick Forsyth novel, Season 1 follows an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest ***, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. Cast also includes Úrsula Corberó, Charles Dance, Richard Dormer, Chukwudi Iwuji, Lia Williams, Khalid Abdalla, Eleanor Matsuura, Jonjo O’Neill and Sule Rimi.

The Day of the Jackal has been No. 1 in Peacock’s top 10 most...

NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution has sold thriller “The Day of the Jackal,” starring Eddie Redmayne, to nearly 200 territories around the world. The show’s U.K. premiere was on Tuesday in London.

The series, a standout title during the L.A. Screenings in May, has subsequently been snapped up by buyers worldwide.

These sales exclude the U.S., where Peacock already held the rights, and U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Italy, where Sky is the rightsholder.

Among the buyers are Foxtel’s Binge (streaming) and Showcase channel (linear) in Australia; Corus’ Showcase (linear) and StackTV (streaming) in Canada; Amazon Prime Video (streaming) in France; JioCinema (streaming) in India; Wowow (linear and streaming) in Japan; Tvnz (linear) and Tvnz+ (streaming) in New Zealand; Wavve (streaming) in South Korea; Showmax (streaming) and M-Net (linear) in Sub-Saharan Africa; Osn’s Osn+ (streaming) and Osn (linear) in UAE and Middle East and...

The 2024 Edinburgh TV Festival draws to a close today, and this year’s event has been full of talking points, some positive and other not so much. While execs and creatives on the ground said there was a relatively subdued feel compared to some years when there have been real fireworks, there was a cautious sense that the brutal financial landscape for the British television market might finally be turning into a brighter picture. Indeed, Channel 4 content boss Ian Katz raised spirits and eyebrows in equal measure when he wrote on the eve of the fest that the network’s spending level is back to 2019 levels, while the likes of Charlotte Moore and Anne Mensah shared optimistic views about the future. Here are our five key takeaways from the Scottish capital.

Risky Business

Writer James Graham delivers the James MacTaggart Lecture

Sherwood and Dear England writer James Graham set British TV gatekeepers a major task in the festival’s key James MacTaggart Lecture slot on Wednesday night: To find a space for “new universes” akin to Harry Potter or the MCU. That means one thing, as he noted: “Taking risks.” The problem is, at the moment, networks aren’t taking risks, as the tough economic conditions of recent years have led to glut of tried-and-tested program decisions. Graham criticized commissioners for opting for “source material, adaptations and expanded universes,” adding that new stories should be central tenant to commissioning “even in the most difficult climate.” He wasn’t the only one addressing risk taking — or the lack of it — with well-known exec and Edinburgh Exec Chair Fatima Salaria opining that “some of the stories I grew up with wouldn’t make it onto a platform now” during a sombre state of the nations debate. Marianne Buckland, development chief at Downton Abbey maker Carnival, warned it was getting harder to persuade networks to gamble on writers that are “maybe just on the cusp” of success, while former HBO programs chief Sue Naegle cautioned that around the world, there is “fear in the marketplace” that leads buyers to stick with known IP. Some heart will be taken from Channel 4’s Katz, who said British IP would be under threat if broadcasters stop taking risks, while suggesting the UK industry is too reliant on American I.P., a potentially harmful situation as market contraction continues across the pond.

The Middle In A Muddle

ITV’s Kevin Lygo questioned why audiences would seek ‘middle-ground’ content when the likes of ‘The Gentlemen are available on-demand

The middle has gone from the market. That was the verdict of virtually every British TV boss who spoke at Edinburgh. In practice, what this means is that those ‘schedule filler’-type shows that used to be consumed by millions in 7pm and 8pm slots are no longer viable in the streaming age. The networks are interested in low-cost TV series to keep things ticking and the high-end premium stuff – mostly drama and docs. The streamers have, of course, never played in this mid-range game. “Why would you watch the [mid-range] when you have Guy Ritchie’s The Gentlemen?” crowed ITV boss Kevin Lygo plainly. “The slightly soft middle ground we used to make a lot of has gone from ITV.” The reality of the shift is proving painful, with numerous production companies shutting up shop the year and more indie closures forecast. When a trio of leading execs were pushed on whether there are too many production companies, the answer was an almost overly resounding ‘yes’, with little room for doubt. “There isn’t enough money and hours to keep everyone alive,” said the BBC’s Dan McGolpin, equally as plainly as Lygo. Edinburgh Exec Chair Salaria worried that the shift will create “an elite class of people who will make elite, high-class premium factual and drama.” On the ground the view was mixed, with a broad but gloomy acceptance that while the shift is causing pain, it is necessary. BBC Chief Content Officer Charlotte Moore said the industry was “rightsizing,” and that indies will need help to find a route forwards. Broadcasters have to build up their streaming services in order to compete, and these platforms do not sit particularly well with the mid-range, so there is more structural work ahead to make the business fit for the future. But more pain is likely coming. Indies have often posited that they need to “survive till 25,” but these intense structural shifts mean that this may be tricky. They’ll certainly be hoping that former NBC entertainment president Warren Littlefield’s assertion that “we’re probably two years out from getting through this particular challenging time” isn’t correct.

Fraught Times For Freelancers, Classism Questioned

Carol Vorderman, presenter and commentator, slammed the UK TV’s industry’s approach to the working class

The middle dropping away is not good news for the ailing freelance workforce, and many at Edinburgh were on hand to reiterate this point. Freelancers tend to use mid-range shows as a way of learning the trade, and without them this nursery slope is destroyed. Freelancers are struggling, recognized by the creation of a new body, Action for Freelancers, unveiled in a session on Wednesday, which is seeking tangible outcomes including better recruitment, improved mental health and enhanced working conditions. The Coalition for Change body, which had been fighting for improvements via a carefully-forged charter, has been closed by its founder, Adeel Amini. Freelancer woes come with working class representation in the spotlight following Graham’s MacTaggart, which argued passionately for greater representation. The industry now needs to ask itself how this can be done amid market contraction and all the usual barriers faced by the demographic. Things ramped up a notch on Friday morning, when the two keynote speakers, consumer champion Martin Lewis and former Countdown icon Carol Vorderman, railed against the TV industry’s treatment of working classes. “We bear a responsibility for not giving the working class a voice within the industry and that has its knock on effects whether you like it or not,” said Vorderman. Will the gatekeepers listen?

Controversies Avoided

Jermaine Jenas was fired from his presenting roles at the BBC yesterday over alleged inappropriate behavior

This year’s fest was as much about what wasn’t said as what was said. While there was a laudable focus on class and existential questions about British content, at least three major themes were missing from the agenda. First among them was abuses of power. There is an irony in the fact that, within minutes of BBC content chief Charlotte Moore stepping off stage, The Sun revealed that Jermaine Jenas had been fired by the BBC for allegedly sending inappropriate messages to a female colleague on The One Show. Jenas denies wrongdoing, but he is the fourth BBC star in recent months to be accused of professional misconduct following the Huw Edwards and Strictly Come Dancing scandals. Is there systemic ill-discipline among male BBC stars? And after the Russell Brand and Phillip Schofield sagas, why does the industry continue to be plagued by abuse of power problems? These questions were not given serious consideration. Secondly, Lisa Nandy, the UK’s new culture secretary, was in Edinburgh this week, but did not attend the TV festival. Deadline is told that organizers attempted to secure time with the Labour minister, but it did not result in a speech or a Q&a. She is now expected to deliver an address at the Royal Television Society London Convention next month. In the event of the Nandy no-show, an industry discussion about the first change of government in 14 years would have been welcome. Then there was the reindeer in the room. The biggest British TV series on the planet this year has been Baby Reindeer, but the Richard Gadd stalker drama’s extraordinary success has also raised searching questions about duty of care and compliance. Netflix UK chief Anne Mensah gave deeply corporate responses about these issues during her Spotlight session, but could they have been explored elsewhere? A panel titled ‘Based On A True Story: Getting Factual Drama Right’ appeared to be the perfect vehicle for such a discussion. Remarkably, Baby Reindeer was not mentioned once. Elsewhere, Channel 5’s spotlight session was dropped from the schedule on the news Ben Frow was suffering from illness and couldn’t make the trip to Scotland. Others such as comedian and actor Sophie Willan missed sessions as the UK’s sickness season came early.

Premium Docs Dominate As Drama Droops

Gordon Ramsay and Victoria Beckham will both feature in premium docs for Netflix

Turns out what the industry actually needed was a heavy dose of 1990s pop music notaglia. A total of three premium doc programs featuring some of Britain’s biggest musical icons of the era were unveiled during the fest — a strong example of the series that now dominate a British TV market missing its middle. Netflix revealed what might be called a Beckham ‘sequel,’ in which Spice Girl Victoria Beckham’s fashion brands empire is explored, and an exploration of boyband Take That from producer du jour Fulwell73 that will include insights from all of its current and former members, including Robbie Williams. Not to be outdone on musical nostalgia, Sky had unveiled Boyzone (working title) on the eve of the fest. It will explore everything from the rise of Take That’s fresh-faced Irish rivals to the sad death of band member Stephen Gately in 2009 — an incident that changed the group forever. There were also announcements about new doc series from celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay for Netflix and Queen consort Camilla, about the victims of domestic and abuse, for ITV. While premium docs dominated, it was a more muted affair in terms of drama announcements, with Michaela Cole’s BBC and HBO drama First Day on Earth, Prime Video’s Keeley Hawes and Freddie Highmore thriller series The Assassin and Netflix’s How to *** Your Family, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, the orders unveiled. In years past, British networks used Edinburgh to reveal plans for dozens of scripted projects, but unscripted took center stage in 2024.

Read our full Edinburgh TV Festival coverage by clicking here.

Universal International Studios boss Beatrice Springborn has said American buyers are open to more flexible deal-making amid the market contraction.

Speaking at the Edinburgh TV Festival in a global storytelling session, Springborn, who is also president of Universal Content Productions, said “we are able to pull some levers” in part because streamers are now willing to take rights in less territories. She used the example of reducing the window of time before the We are Lady Parts and Day of the Jackal maker can be returned the rights to a show via shorter holdback terms.

“There has been more free dealmaking in terms of rights especially as payments are getting lower,” said Springborn. “That also goes back to collaboration. We didn’t used to see a world in which SVoDs would only take one or two territories so we are able now to pull some levers.”

In this era of market contraction,...

The teaser trailer for the new Peacock series The Day of the Jackal premiered during NBC’s and Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony. The trailer is now online for audiences to view. The concept is a reimagining of the 1973 film adaptation from Universal Pictures. In The Day of the Jackal, Redmayne plays the Jackal, a professional assassin hired by a French paramilitary dissident to *** French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962. The new series stars Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch and Úrsula Corberó.

The synopsis, per Deadline, reads,

“It follows an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest ***, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. The...

Peacock and Sky have revealed a first look at their upcoming new series The Day of the Jackal, starring Eddie Redmayne, Lashana Lynch and Úrsula Corberó. The teaser above premiered Friday night during NBC and Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.

The Day of the Jackal will premiere on Peacock (U.S.) and Sky (UK) on November 7.

The series is based on the Frederick Forsyth novel and 1973 film adaptation from Universal. It follows an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal (Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee.

But following his latest ***, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer (Lynch) who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake. The new version has been reimagined as a contemporary story set amidst the current turbulent geo-political landscape and...

Exclusive: EastEnders alumna Florisa Kamara is set as a series regular opposite Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch in Peacock’s upcoming series The Day Of The Jackal, Deadline has learned.

The series is based on the Frederick Forsyth novel and 1973 film adaptation from Universal Pictures. However, it has been reimagined as a contemporary story set amidst the current turbulent geo-political landscape and will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’.

As previously announced, Redmayne plays The Jackal, an unrivaled and highly elusive lone assassin, and Lynch portrays Bianca, a tenacious MI6 agent in a relentless, global pursuit to catch him. We hear Kamara will play Lynch’s daughter Jasmine.

Top Boy creator and writer Ronan Bennett writes and serves as showrunner. Brian Kirk, who has directed episodes of Game of Thrones and Luther, will direct. It is produced by Universal International Studios’ Carnival Films, which is best known for producing Downton Abbey.

“Money Heist” star Úrsula Corberó is set to join Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch in Sky and Peacock’s reimagining of “The Day of the Jackal,” Variety has learned.

In the series, which will drop later this year, “Cabaret” actor Redmayne will play elusive assassin The Jackal while “No Time to Die” star Lynch takes on the role of tenacious MI6 agent Bianca, who goes on a relentless global pursuit to catch him.

Corberó joins as Nuria, a woman who is familiar with The Jackal in his personal life but has no idea of who he truly is.

Joining her are Charles Dance (”Game of Thrones”) as Timothy Winthrop, Richard Dormer (“Blue Lights”) as Norman and Chukwudi Iwuji (“Guardians of the Galaxy 3”) as Osita Halcrow.

Lia Williams (“The Crown”) as Isabel Kirby rounds out the cast alongside Khalid Abdalla (“The Kite Runner”) as Ulle Dag Charles, Eleanor Matsuura (“The Walking Dead”) as Zina Jansone,...

Los Angeles, March 22 (Ians) Actor Eddie Redmayne has been cast in ‘The Day of the Jackal’, an upcoming reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s novel and the film of the same name.

He will also executive produce the thriller series.

Redmayne will play the Jackal, who is hired by the Oas, a French dissident organisation, to *** then-president of France Charles de Gaulle, reports ‘Variety’.

Redmayne recently starred opposite Jessica Chastain in Netflix’s ‘The Good Nurse’.

He is also known for playing Stephen Hawking in James Marsh’s 2014 biopic ‘The Theory of Everything’, which earned him the Oscar for best actor.

Redmayne’s other prominent credits include ‘The Trial of The Chicago Seven’, ‘The Danish Girl’, ‘Les Miserables’ and the ‘Fantastic Beasts’ films.

Ronan Bennett serves as showrunner of ‘The Day of the Jackal’, which hails from Universal International’s Carnival Films and was commissioned by Sky Studios and Peacock.

After giving everyone a case of the chills because of his performance as Charlie Cullen in The Good Nurse, Eddie Redmayne is ready to *** again. Redmayne will star in The Day of the Jackal series, a new project destined for Peacock and Sky. The concept is a reimagining of the 1973 film adaptation from Universal Pictures. In The Day of the Jackal, Redmayne plays the Jackal, a professional assassin hired by a French paramilitary dissident to *** French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962.

Inspired by Frederick Forsyth’s novel of the same name (and Universal’s film adaptation), the new version brings the character and story to a contemporary setting, letting our corrupt geo-political landscape loose in a world of deception, lies, cover-ups, and death. In addition to telling an intriguing tale of careful ***, The Day of the Jackal series will meditate on the concept of an anti-hero.

Ronan Bennett...

Eddie Redmayne, fresh from The Good Nurse, is set to play another killer.

The Oscar-winning actor will star in The Day of the Jackal series for Peacock and Sky. He will play The Jackal, a professional assassin hired by a French paramilitary dissident to *** French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962.

The series is based on the Frederick Forsyth novel and 1973 film adaptation from Universal Pictures. However, it has been reimagined as a contemporary story set amidst the current turbulent geo-political landscape and will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’.

Top Boy creator and writer Ronan Bennett writes and serves as showrunner. Brian Kirk, who has directed episodes of Game of Thrones and Luther, will direct. It is produced by Universal International Studios’ Carnival Films, which is best known for producing Downton Abbey.

Redmayne will also exec produce alongside Carnival Films’ Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant, Sky Studios’ Sam Hoyle.

Eddie Redmayne has been cast in “The Day of the Jackal,” Peacock and Sky’s upcoming reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s novel and Universal’s film of the same name. He will also executive produce the thriller series.

Redmayne will play the Jackal, who is hired by the Oas, a French dissident organization, to *** then-president of France Charles de Gaulle.

Redmayne recently starred opposite Jessica Chastain in Netflix’s “The Good Nurse.” He is also known for playing Stephen Hawking in James Marsh’s 2014 biopic “The Theory of Everything,” which earned him the Oscar for best actor. Redmayne’s other prominent credits include “The Trial of The Chicago Seven,” “The Danish Girl,” “Les Miserables” and the “Fantastic Beasts” films.

He is repped by CAA, United Agents and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein.

Ronan Bennett serves as showrunner of “The Day of the Jackal,” which hails from Universal International...