Spy thriller The Day of the Jackal is being reimagined as a TV series.
Peacock and NBCU sibling outlet, the U.K.-based Sky, have ordered an original series based on the 1973 Universal Pictures film adaptation of Frederick Forsyth’s book of the same name.
The series is billed as a “contemporary reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film.” The series will stay faithful to the original IP’s DNA while delving deeper into the story’s anti-hero in a suspenseful cat-and-mouse thriller set in a volatile geopolitical environment.
“It is an exciting prospect to work with Ronan Bennett and Brian Kirk on this contemporary cat-and-mouse thriller inspired by Frederick Forsyth’s respected novel and the much admired and remembered Fred Zinnemann movie,” said Gareth Neame, ep for Carnival Films, in a statement. “We’ll retain the pan-European setting and play to the strengths of episodic television in this fast paced, intelligent international thriller with the story of an assassin and the race to stop him still at the heart of the action.”
Production will start next summer.
The series will air in the U.S. on Peacock and in the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria on Sky.
“We’re excited to adapt this internationally recognized classic into an updated, timely, political thriller,” said Lisa Katz, president of scripted content at NBCUniversal Television and Streaming. “Shepherded by novelist and showrunner Ronan Bennett and Carnival, this action-packed high-stakes drama is sure to be an edge-of-your seat adventure for Peacock audiences.”