Taylor Sheridan does not know the meaning of moderation. He has about 80 shows (which is only a slight exaggeration) currently running or in the works, some of which film at his various ranches. And yet, Sheridan still doesn’t have enough shows to call it good because he’s headed the espionage realm with an upcoming project and an Oscar winner in the lead role.
Of course, this isn’t Sheridan’s first rodeo in the spy realm, where he previously tangled with Special Ops: Lioness, starring not only Nicole Kidman but also Zoe Saldaña as a CIA operative named Joe who mentored and molded recruits. That series has been renewed by Paramount+ for a second season, but Sheridan is stretching his spy-thriller-assassin-show legs by putting a new spin on existing source material. With The Day of the Jackal, Sheridan will further adapt Frederick Forsyth’s same-named novel that was already the basis of a 1973 movie. Let’s discuss how the show might differ.
Plot
Sheridan is planning to tackle The Day of the Jackal as a 10-episode action-thriller series, which hasn’t yet been formally declared a limited series, so we shall see where that loose end goes. Eddie Redmayne will portray the titular Jackal, a lone-wolf who assassin who is being hunted by an MI6 agent (Latasha Lynch). The Yellowstone creator is making the series for SkyShowtime (it will stream elsewhere in the U.S.), and of course, the Jackal isn’t truly by his lonesome.
According to Hollywood Reporter, a character named Nuria (Ursula Corberó) will surface as “someone at the heart of The Jackal’s personal life, entirely unaware of who he truly is.” Also, Sheridan is certainly not planning to simply rehash and lengthen the feature film’s take on the subject matter:
The Day of the Jackal is being billed by the producers as a “bold, modern reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film.” While staying true to the DNA of the original story, which was set in 1962 and based on attempts to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle, this contemporary drama will delve deeper into the chameleon like “antihero” 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.
Sky Studios is aiming for the sky with this series, which CEO and chief content officer Cécile Frot-Coutaz has called “probably one of the most ambitious or large-scale production that we’ve mounted.”
Cast
Eddie Redmayne headlines as the Jackal with Latasha Lynch as Bianca. The series co-stars Sule Rimi, Chukwudi Iwuji, Stuart Whelan, Christy Mayer, Florisa Kamara, Ben Hall, Lia Williams, Khalid Abdalla, Eleanor Matsuura, Jonjo O’Neill, and Martin McDougall.
Release Date
The series will stream on SkyShowtime across the pond and presumably Peacock in the U.S., although that final detail hasn’t been confirmed yet. That would be departure from most of Sheridan’s shows, which stream on Paramount+, although Yellowstone proper is a Peacock outlier.
Trailer
Since no trailer has surfaced yet for Sheridan’s project, here’s the 1973 film’s trailer for the heck of it, and if you are so inclined, the film is available to rent on Prime Video (Amazon).
