Eddie Redmayne Will Reprise ‘The Day of the Jackal’ Starring Role in Season 2
- Eddie Redmayne confirms he will return for season two of The Day of the Jackal, thanking fans for their support.
Eddie Redmayne will reprise his titular role in season two of The Day of the Jackal , the actor has confirmed.
"Thank you so much for watching and supporting The Day of the Jackal ," Redmayne said in a Sky Instagram post on Thursday. "If there's one thing that the Jackal can't stand, it's a loose end. So we will see you soon for season two."
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There was previously no word yet whether Lashana Lynch or Redmayne would return for the next installment — because saying so would have spoiled the twist ending in the Peacock adaptation, which released its finale Dec. 12.
With the first episode reaching a U.K. audience of 4.5 million after 26 viewing days, it made the thriller series — starring Redmayne and Lynch — the most popular new series to ever launch on Sky , scripted or unscripted.
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 NBCUniversal-owned streamer and Sky Atlantic renewed The Day of the Jackal for a second season last month.
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 (Redmayne) and an MI6 agent (Lynch) who's determined to catch him.
Oscar winner Redmayne recently told The Hollywood Reporter that he was initially reluctant to join The Day of the Jackal when he was first approached. "I loved the original movie and the Frederick Forsyth book," he said. "So when the first three scripts arrived in my inbox, there was a level of hesitation because you don't want to butcher something you love."
But, "I read the first episode or two of this series and I found it so propulsive and compelling and the character so enigmatic, that I just wanted to know what happened next," he added.
In fact, he said it was the ending twist and second season potential that sealed the deal: "When I signed on for the series, there was an aspiration for the Jackal story to continue. So I knew that was going to be the twist."
The Day of the Jackal is now streaming all episodes on Peacock and Sky. Read THR 's full interview with Redmayne.
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