Eddie Redmayne has been cast in Peacock and Sky’s  “The Day of the Jackal,” a modern reimagining of Frederick Forsyth’s novel, and the 1973 Edward Fox film it inspired.

Redmayne will play the Jackal, who is hired by the OAS, a French dissident organization, to kill then-president of France Charles de Gaulle. Production is to begin this year, with Redmayne also serving as executive producer of the thriller series. No release date or additional casting have been announced yet.

A press release from Peacock reads: “While staying true to the DNA of the original story, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon like ‘anti-hero’ at the heart of the story in a high-octane, cinematic, globetrotting ‘cat and mouse’ thriller, set amidst the turbulent geo-political landscape of our time.”

Gareth Neame, CEO of production company Carnival Films, said in a statement: “We are excited to bring to life Ronan Bennett’s re-imagining of Forsyth’s revered thriller in the complex world in which we live today and are incredibly fortunate to have an actor of Eddie’s calibre as our Jackal Paired with Ronan’s screenplay and Brian Kirk’s direction, this is a first-class creative team … We are excited to bring to life Ronan Bennett’s re-imagining of Forsyth’s revered thriller in the complex world in which we live today and are incredibly fortunate to have an actor of Eddie’s calibre as our Jackal. Paired with Ronan’s screenplay and Brian Kirk’s direction, this is a first-class creative team.”

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