You probably remember the original. That 1973 film with Edward Fox was a masterclass in clinical, cold-blooded efficiency. It was a movie where you barely knew the protagonist's name, let alone his coffee order. So, when news broke that a modern The Day of the Jackal TV series was coming to Peacock and Sky, a lot of us rolled our eyes. Do we really need a ten-hour version of a story that worked perfectly in two?
Honestly? Yeah, we did.
This isn't just a stretched-out remake. It’s a complete overhaul. Gone is the plot to kill Charles de Gaulle. In its place, we get a tech billionaire, a relentless MI6 agent, and an assassin who—wait for it—actually has a family. It’s a massive gamble that could have easily felt like "generic spy thriller #402," but somehow, it sticks the landing.
What’s Different in the 2024 Reimagining?
The core premise remains: a world-class assassin is hired for a job that seems impossible. But the The Day of the Jackal TV series shifts the goalposts immediately. Eddie Redmayne plays the Jackal, and if you’ve seen him in The Good Nurse, you know he can do "quietly terrifying" better than almost anyone. He’s not just a guy in a suit; he’s a chameleon who spends half the show under layers of prosthetics.
One of the biggest shocks for purists is the target. Instead of a French president, the Jackal is aiming for Ulle Dag Charles (played by Khalid Abdalla), a tech visionary about to release software that would effectively end financial secrecy. It’s a very 2020s motive. If you expose the dirty money of the world's elite, the elite are going to hire a guy like the Jackal to make sure that software never sees the light of day.
The Bianca Factor
In the original book and film, the detective chasing the Jackal was Claude Lebel, a polite, unassuming Frenchman. The TV series swaps him for Bianca Pullman, played by Lashana Lynch.
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Bianca is polarizing.
Some viewers find her "unlikable," but that’s kind of the point. She’s an MI6 weapons expert who is just as obsessed and morally flexible as the man she’s hunting. She’s not a "hero" in the traditional sense; she’s a professional who is willing to ruin lives—including her own family’s—to win the game. This creates a dual-narrative where you’re watching two experts at the top of their field slowly destroy everything around them.
Why the "Family Man" Angle Isn't a Disaster
Writing a "human" assassin is a dangerous trope. It usually leads to sappy scenes that kill the tension. However, the The Day of the Jackal TV series uses the Jackal’s wife, Nuria (Úrsula Corberó), as a ticking clock rather than a sentimental anchor.
He’s living a double life in a gorgeous Spanish villa. Nuria thinks he’s just a successful businessman who travels a lot. But as Bianca closes in, that domestic bubble starts to leak. There is a genuine tension in watching the Jackal try to be a "good dad" while also scouting a sniper nest in Munich. It adds a layer of "how long can he keep this up?" that the original movie didn't have.
The show also doesn't shy away from the Jackal's background. We find out he’s Alexander Duggan, a former British Special Forces sniper with a very dark history in Afghanistan. Knowing why he’s a ghost doesn’t make him more sympathetic, but it does make the cat-and-mouse game feel more grounded in reality.
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Production Value and the "Golden Age" Feel
You can tell Sky and Peacock threw a lot of money at this. Reportedly around £100 million. It looks expensive. The locations aren't just green screens; the production hopped from Estonia and Croatia to Germany and Spain.
- The Sniper Tech: The show is obsessed with the mechanics of the kill. There’s a scene involving a custom-built rifle that can fire from a record-breaking distance which feels like a mini-documentary on ballistics.
- The Pacing: It’s 10 episodes. Some critics felt it was "overstuffed," but the extra time allows for subplots like Charles Dance’s sinister billionaire character to actually breathe.
- The Disguises: Redmayne’s transformations are impressive. He doesn't just put on a hat; his gait, his accent, and his entire posture shift.
It’s the kind of prestige TV that reminds you of Slow Horses or Bodyguard, but with a much colder heart. It’s cynical. It’s sleek. It doesn't really believe in "good guys."
Is There a Season 2?
Yes.
The first season was a massive hit for Peacock, becoming their most-watched original drama shortly after its release in late 2024. Because of that, a second season was greenlit almost immediately. However, things are changing behind the scenes. While Ronan Bennett created the show and wrote the first season, David Harrower is taking over as the primary writer for the next chapter.
The Season 1 finale left a lot of wreckage. Bianca is gone, Nuria has fled with the baby, and the Jackal is still out there, seemingly ready to pivot from the hunter to the protector—or maybe just a different kind of ghost.
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What You Should Do Next
If you haven't started the series yet, it’s currently streaming in full on Peacock in the US and Sky/NOW in the UK.
Don't go into it expecting a beat-for-beat remake of the 1973 film. It’s its own beast. If you're a fan of the original Frederick Forsyth novel, you'll spot some Easter eggs (like the famous watermelon target practice), but prepare for a much more sprawling, modern conspiracy.
Pro tip: Watch the first episode's opening 30 minutes carefully. It’s almost entirely wordless and sets the tone for the Jackal's meticulous nature perfectly. Once you're through the first three episodes, you'll know if you're in for the long haul.
Stream the first season now before the Season 2 marketing kicks into high gear later this year. Be sure to pay attention to the background details in the London MI6 scenes; the show rewards viewers who notice the small "glitches" in the bureaucracy that the Jackal exploits.