Created by Ronan Bennett.
The Day of the Jackal premiered on November 7, 2024.
Distributed internationally by NBCUniversal Global Distribution on behalf of Sky Studios.
Series Review
The Day of the Jackal is a modern TV remake of the classic spy thriller, and it delivers plenty of suspense.
Eddie Redmayne shines as the Jackal, a cold and clever assassin who hides behind an ordinary identity.
Lashana Lynch plays Bianca Pullman, an MI6 expert determined to stop him. The show looks and feels cinematic, with tense action, smart spy tactics, and beautiful shots across Europe.
One of the best scenes shows a rifle being built piece by piece from a suitcase, capturing the show’s detail and style.
Redmayne’s performance makes the Jackal both fascinating and frightening, while Lynch brings grit and focus to the chase.
However, the story sometimes slows down in the middle with side plots that aren’t as gripping. Still, when the series focuses on the battle between hunter and hunted, it truly shines.
Overall, The Day of the Jackal is stylish, suspenseful, and worth the watch.
Ratings
• IMDb: 8.1/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
• Google Audience Score: 95% liked this TV show.
The Day of the Jackal Actors
Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal / Alex Duggan
DOB: January 6, 1982.
Bio: English actor and Academy Award winner celebrated for his transformative and immersive performances.
A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, where he studied History of Art, Redmayne began his career on the London stage before transitioning to film.
His breakthrough came with critically acclaimed performances in period dramas and biopics, solidifying his reputation as one of the most versatile actors of his generation.
Role: The Jackal, here named Alex Duggan, is an elite, methodical assassin and former UKSF veteran who lives in plain sight with a new identity.
This adaptation lets us spend time inside his life and methods rather than treating him as a pure enigma.
Episodes: Series 1 (10 episodes).
What to Expect: A chilly, meticulous performance that makes the Jackal both terrifying and oddly human. Expect a globe-trotting hunter’s craft, careful disguises, and taught action.
Favorite Things: Redmayne is private but often speaks about theatre roots, preparation and family life when promoting projects.
Notable Works: The Theory of Everything, The Good Nurse, Fantastic Beasts films.
Lashana Lynch as Bianca Pullman
DOB: November 27, 1987.
Bio: British actress trained at the Arts Educational School in London. She began her career in television and theatre before breaking into major film roles.
Known for her commanding presence, athletic physicality, and emotional depth, Lynch has become a standout in action-driven stories and historical dramas alike.
Role: Bianca Pullman is a firearms-trained Section 303 agent and the story’s moral and procedural counterpoint to the Jackal.
Tenacious, technically brilliant and personally invested, Bianca is the character whose hunt structures the series.
Episodes: Series 1 (10 episodes).
What to Expect: Focused investigative work, strong combat sequences, and a character arc that marries professional duty with personal cost.
Favorite Things: In interviews, Lynch has spoken about her commitment to intense physical preparation for action roles, her passion for representation of strong Black women on screen, and her love of music, which has been central in her life.
Notable Works: No Time to Die, The Marvels, The Woman King.
Úrsula Corberó as Nuria
DOB: August 11, 1989.
Bio: Spanish actress from Barcelona who trained in acting as a child and began her career in national television before breaking out internationally.
She became a global star with her role as Tokyo in Netflix’s La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), which turned her into one of Spain’s most recognized exports.
Role: Nuria is the Jackal’s Spanish wife who knows him as Charles Calthrop and whose family life becomes a pressure point in his carefully controlled world.
Her relationships offer a domestic, human mapping onto the killer’s life.
Episodes: Series 1 (10 episodes).
What to Expect: A performance that complicates sympathy and loyalty; Nuria is both partner and potential threat to the Jackal’s secrecy.
Favorite Things: In interviews, Corberó has shared her passion for fashion, her advocacy for women’s rights, and her love of balancing Spanish projects with international roles.
Notable Works: La Casa de Papel (Money Heist), Snake Eyes, Burning Body, The Tree of Blood.
Chukwudi Iwuji as Osita Halcrow
DOB: October 15, 1975.
Bio: Nigerian-born British actor, raised in London, and trained at Yale University. He is best known for his commanding presence on both stage and screen.
A former Associate Artist at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Iwuji has played acclaimed roles in Shakespeare productions while steadily building a television and film career.
Role: A senior MI6 official within Section 303 and Bianca Pullman’s direct superior.
As a strategist, mentor, and gatekeeper of institutional authority, he represents the bureaucratic weight behind the pursuit of the Jackal.
Episodes: Series 1 (10 episodes).
What to Expect: Quiet authority, complex loyalties and moments that show the strain of intelligence work.
Favorite Things: Iwuji has often expressed his enduring love for theatre, crediting stage work with shaping his craft.
Notable Works: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (as the High Evolutionary), John Wick: Chapter 2, Designated Survivor, King Lear (RSC), The Underground Railroad.
Khalid Abdalla as Ulle Dag Charles
DOB: October 26, 1980.
Bio: British actor and activist of Egyptian heritage, born in Glasgow and raised in London.
Educated at King’s College, Cambridge, he has built a career that straddles both Hollywood and independent cinema, often drawn to stories with political and cultural depth.
Role: Ulle Dag Charles is a billionaire tech entrepreneur and activist who becomes the Jackal’s modern target.
This version relocates the central political target into today’s world of tech power.
Episodes: Series 1 (7 episodes).
What to Expect: Scenes that interrogate power, publicity and the vulnerabilities of public figures in the tech age.
Favorite Things: Abdalla often blends acting with arts activism; he has a long interest in politically engaged storytelling.
Notable Works: The Kite Runner, United 93, Green Zone, The Square.
Lia Williams as Isabel Kirby
DOB: November 26, 1964.
Bio: Highly respected British actress and director, born in Birkenhead, England.
Trained in theatre, she has built a distinguished career across stage, television, and film, known for her intelligence, precision, and emotional intensity.
Williams has received multiple Olivier Award nominations and has worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company and National Theatre, while also directing acclaimed stage productions.
Role: Isabel Kirby is the MI6 Deputy Chief of Staff and a senior figure whose decisions shape the hunt.
She embodies institutional politics and the cost of leadership in intelligence.
Episodes: Series 1 (8 episodes).
What to Expect: Expect poised authority, sharp dialogue, and moments where Kirby’s decisions carry weighty consequences.
Favorite Things: Williams is a theatre lifer who often speaks about craft and the rewards of long careers across stage and screen.
Notable Works: The Capture, The Crown, Secret Rapture, May 33rd.
Eleanor Matsuura as Zina Jansone
DOB: July 16, 1983.
Bio: British actress born in Tokyo, Japan, and raised in Hertfordshire, England.
Of Japanese and British heritage, she trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and has built a wide-ranging career across theatre, television, and film.
Role: Zina Jansone is the liaison between the Jackal and his employer; she is one of the shadow players who keeps the plot’s darker networks moving.
Episodes: Series 1 (10 episodes).
What to Expect: Matsuura brings a cool intensity to Zina, with tough, transactional scenes that reveal the underworld mechanics behind the Jackal’s mission.
Favorite Things: Matsuura has often spoken about her love of physical training for demanding roles and her passion for storytelling that reflects diverse backgrounds.
Notable Works: The Walking Dead, Cuffs, Spooks, Sherlock, Lost in London.
Sule Rimi as Paul Pullman
DOB: N/A.
Bio: Nigerian-born British actor with a strong foundation in theatre and an increasingly visible presence on screen.
A graduate of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, he has built a reputation for thoughtful, grounded performances across stage and television.
Role: Paul Pullman is an academic and Bianca’s estranged husband; his relationship with Bianca brings domestic stakes into the international hunt.
Episodes: Series 1 (7 episodes).
What to Expect: Scenes that explore personal costs of intelligence work and the friction of a marriage under strain.
Favorite Things: Rimi has spoken about his deep roots in theatre and his passion for using stage work as a foundation for screen acting.
Notable Works: Andor (Disney+), Foundation (Apple TV+), Classified.
Ben Hall as Damian Richardson
DOB: N/A.
Bio: British stage and screen actor, was a member of the National Youth Theatre in London, United Kingdom.
A graduate of the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Hall has worked across theatre, short films, and television.
Role: Damian Richardson is an MI6 agent in Section 303 and a colleague of Bianca.
He provides the day-to-day operational perspective on the investigation.
Episodes: Series 1 (9 episodes).
What to Expect: Expect Damian to embody the reliability and earnestness of a mid-level agent caught between bureaucracy and field demands, helping ground the team’s dynamic.
Favorite Things: Ben is active in the UK acting community and speaks warmly about ensemble work.
Notable Works: Various British TV credits; nominated with the series ensemble for awards.
Jonjo O’Neill as Edward Carver
DOB: July 11, 1978.
Bio: Northern Irish actor acclaimed for his commanding stage presence and dynamic screen work.
Trained at the Guildford School of Acting, O’Neill built his reputation with the Royal Shakespeare Company before expanding into television and film.
Role: Edward Carver is an MI6 fixer investigating leaks inside Section 303; his work threatens to unearth uncomfortable truths.
Episodes: Series 1 (5 episodes).
What to Expect: Gritty, suspicion-stoked scenes and a character who complicates the team’s trust.
Favorite Things: O’Neill has often spoken about his deep love for theatre and the craft of character building, valuing consistency and layered performances over quick recognition.
Notable Works: The Last Rifleman, Nightsleeper, The Fall, The Queen’s Gambit.
Puchi Lagarde as Marisa
DOB: N/A.
Bio: Spanish actress with extensive experience in television and theater.
A graduate of RESAD (Real Escuela Superior de Arte Dramático) in Madrid, she has appeared in acclaimed Spanish series like B&B, de boca en boca, La cocinera de Castamar, and Malaka
Role: Marisa, Nuria’s mother, an interfering family presence whose behavior adds domestic pressure to the Jackal’s fragile house of cards.
Episodes: Series 1 (5 episodes).
What to Expect: Strong, scene-stealing domestic moments that ground the thriller in emotional reality.
Favorite Things: Known for crossing borders between Spanish and international projects, Lagarde often brings a grounded sensibility to cross-market productions.
Notable Works: Various Spanish TV shows and international projects.
Jon Arias as Alvaro
DOB: 1987.
Bio: Spanish actor with roots in television, film, and theater.
Educated at King’s College in Madrid, he transitioned from music, leading a rock band in his youth, to a serious acting career, receiving formal training in performance and direction.
Role: Alvaro is Nuria’s brother. a deadbeat whose scheming threatens to drag the Jackal’s family into danger. He provides a human vector for escalation.
Episodes: Series 1 (8 episodes).
What to Expect: Chaotic, self-inflicted complications that force the Jackal to respond outside his plans.
Favorite Things: Arias often speaks warmly about his theatrical background, collaborative process, and maintaining a thoughtful progression across both Spanish and international roles.
Notable Works: Instinto, El Ministerio del Tiempo, Perdida, Yerma.
More Actors
• Charles Dance as Timothy Winthrop.
• Nick Blood as Vincent Pyne.
• Patrick Kennedy as Teddy.
• Richard Dormer as Norman Stoke (special guest star) — the Jackal’s gunsmith.
• Florisa Kamara as Jasmine Pullman.
• Kate Dickie as Alison Stoke.
• Patrick O’Kane as Larry Stoke.
• Corey Johnson as Doug Wojack.
• Christy Meyer as Leonora Boggs.
• Adam James as Jeremy Whitelock, the Foreign Secretary.
• Gerard Kearns as Gary Cobb.
FAQ – The Day of the Jackal TV Series
How many episodes are in Season 1?
Season 1 consists of 10 episodes.
Will there be season 2 of The Day of the Jackal TV Series?
Yes. The Day of the Jackal TV series has been officially renewed for Season 2 by Peacock and Sky.
The renewal was announced in November 2024, even before Season 1 concluded.
Where was the series filmed?
Filming spanned across Budapest (Hungary), Vienna (Austria), and regions of Croatia, including Rijeka, Pag, Istria, Opatija, and Rabac for a diverse, European backdrop. More on CountryAndTownHouse
Is The Day of the Jackal a true story?
No, The Day of the Jackal is not a true story.
The series, like Frederick Forsyth’s original 1971 novel and the 1973 film adaptation, is a work of fiction.
Conclusion
The Day of the Jackal (TV series) is a sleek, intelligent reboot that balances old-school spy thriller roots with modern storytelling.
Eddie Redmayne’s icy precision as the Jackal and Lashana Lynch’s sharp determination as Pullman create a compelling dynamic that drives the suspense.
While some subplots drag, the show’s blend of stylish tension, global intrigue, and psychological depth make it a worthy weekend binge for fans of espionage dramas.
This series proves that the Jackal still has teeth.