Honestly, if you’d told me two years ago that the guy from Fantastic Beasts was going to be the most terrifying man on television, I’d have probably laughed. Eddie Redmayne? The man with the permanent boyish squint and the softest voice in Hollywood?
It didn't make sense.
But then came the 2024 reimagining of The Day of the Jackal. Suddenly, the "prefect-badge" energy of Redmayne’s past roles vanished. In its place, we got something cold. Something surgical. Something that actually makes you look at a turtleneck and feel a little bit of genuine dread.
The Jackal Eddie Redmayne: Not Your Grandpa’s Assassin
The original 1971 Frederick Forsyth novel is a masterpiece of forensic detail. It’s dry, it’s meticulous, and it’s very, very 1960s. When Edward Fox played the Jackal in the '73 film, he was a ghost—a man with no backstory and no soul. He was just a weapon.
This new version? It’s basically the opposite.
Ronan Bennett, the creator, made a choice that probably had purists screaming into their first editions. He gave the Jackal a life. He gave him a wife, Nuria (played by the incredible Úrsula Corberó), and a kid. He gave him a home in Spain.
Basically, he made him a person.
This changes everything. When The Jackal Eddie Redmayne is assembling a custom sniper rifle—literally building it out of the internal gears of a wheelie suitcase—the stakes aren't just "will he kill the target?" It's "will he get home for dinner without his wife finding out he's a professional monster?"
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It’s the "Breaking Bad" effect. We know he’s the bad guy. He kills a lot of people. Some of them are "bad," like the far-right politician in the first episode, but plenty are just collateral. Yet, because it’s Redmayne, and because we see him struggling with the "work-life balance" of being an international hitman, we kinda want him to get away with it.
Preparation That Bordered on Obsessive
Redmayne is known for being a bit of a "process" nerd. For this role, he went full-tilt.
He worked with Paul Biddiss, a former paratrooper and surveillance expert. Biddiss didn't just teach him how to hold a gun; he taught him "situational awareness."
There's this great story about Biddiss sending Redmayne on a "live" mission in central London. The target? Biddiss's wife, Debbie. Redmayne had to trail her through shops like Zara and Superdrug without being spotted, all while memorizing CCTV camera locations and exits.
"He was clocking all the cameras, using his mobile to pretend he's talking so he doesn't look suspicious," Biddiss later remarked.
Apparently, Redmayne got so into it he nearly caused a security incident in Budapest. He was practicing deconstructing his massive prop sniper rifle in his hotel room and went down to grab some dinner. Halfway through his meal, he realized the "turndown service" was coming. He had to sprint back to the room before the maid found a high-caliber weapon sitting on the desk.
That's the kind of dedication that makes the performance feel so authentic. You've got to respect the hustle.
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Why the 2024 Version Actually Works
The target in the original book was Charles de Gaulle. It worked in 1971 because everyone knew who he was and why people wanted him dead. In 2026, a political hit on a 60-year-old figure doesn't have the same bite.
Instead, the show targets UDC (Ulle Dag Charles), a tech billionaire played by Khalid Abdalla. UDC wants to launch "River," a software that makes all financial transactions transparent.
Essentially, he wants to end privacy for the ultra-wealthy.
Suddenly, the "villains" hiring the Jackal are the elite. The shadowy billionaires in New York offices. It makes the Jackal feel like a tool of the establishment, even as he's playing this hyper-modern game of cat-and-mouse with Lashana Lynch’s Bianca.
The Bianca Factor
Lashana Lynch is the secret sauce here. In the book, the person hunting the Jackal is a French detective named Lebel. He's fine, but he's a bit of a cliché.
Bianca is different. She's an MI6 firearms expert who is just as obsessed and morally compromised as the man she's hunting. She blackmails people. She lies to her family. She’s "the good guy," but by the end of Season 1, you're not so sure.
The dynamic between her and The Jackal Eddie Redmayne isn't just a chase; it's a mirror. They are two people who are only truly alive when they are "on the job," even if that job is destroying their souls.
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What’s Next for Season 2?
If you've finished the first ten episodes, you know things didn't exactly end cleanly. (Spoilers ahead, obviously).
Bianca is gone—or so it seems—and the Jackal’s double life has completely imploded. Nuria took the baby and vanished. The Jackal is wounded, exposed, and has a very angry billionaire (Charles Dance) in his sights.
Here is what we know about the future of the show:
- Production Status: Writing for Season 2 started in mid-2025. Filming is expected to wrap up sometime this year.
- Creative Shift: Ronan Bennett is stepping back to executive producer. David Harrower, who did Lockerbie, is taking over as lead writer.
- The Plot: Producer Gareth Neame hinted that Season 2 might actually pull more from the original novel. Since Season 1 was largely an "origin story" of how his secret life was exposed, Season 2 might see him more as the lone wolf from the book.
Honestly, the creative shake-up is a bit nerve-wracking. Bennett’s voice was so specific. But bringing in the guy who wrote Lockerbie suggests they aren't losing that grit.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of the Jackal, don't just stop at the show.
- Read the 1971 Novel: It’s a masterclass in tension. Even though the tech is dated, the "how-to" of being an assassin is still fascinating.
- Watch the 1973 Film: See how Edward Fox compares to Redmayne. It’s a much more clinical, detached experience.
- Check out "Top Boy": If you liked the pacing of Season 1, watch Ronan Bennett's other major work. It has that same "no one is safe" vibe.
The Jackal Eddie Redmayne has successfully taken a relic of the Cold War and made it feel like the most relevant thing on TV. It’s not just a remake; it’s a total renovation.
If you haven't started it yet, clear your weekend. Just... maybe don't leave your luggage lying around if you're staying in a hotel. People might get the wrong idea.
Next Steps for Your Binge-Watch:
Check the latest updates on Peacock or Sky Atlantic for the official Season 2 trailer, which is rumored to drop in late 2026. In the meantime, re-watching the "Man Munich" sequence in episode one is the best way to catch the tiny details you definitely missed the first time around.