Τι έγινε στην πρώτη σεζόν και τι περιμένουμε για την 2η

The Day of the Jackal is based on the novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth, published in 1971 and considered one of the most important political thrillers of its era. The book was inspired by the real-life attempt by the French paramilitary organization OAS to assassinate Charles de Gaulle and tells the story of an unnamed professional assassin attempting to kill the French president while the French authorities try to track him down. The first major film adaptation came in 1973 from Fred Zinnemann, with Edward Fox as the Jackal and Michael Lonsdale as Inspector Lebel. The film is still considered a classic political thriller and was much closer to the book than the modern series.

There was, of course, also the 1997 film The Jackal, starring Bruce Willis and Richard Gere. Here, an important clarification is needed: despite the title and the presence of the same mythical character, the film is not a true sequel to or faithful adaptation of the novel. It is essentially a very loose remake of the 1973 film, with the aim of bringing the idea into a modern American setting. The 2024 series sits somewhere between the two: it keeps the name, the idea of the ruthless professional and the obsession with detail, but creates an entirely new story.

That in itself was a very interesting move for me. They did not take the easy route, meaning simply remaking what the book or the 1973 film had already done. They dared to go somewhere new, with Ronan Bennett using the story of the Jackal as a foundation and giving it a new life.

Eddie Redmayne is excellent in the role, not because he plays a “villain” in the usual way, but because he presents him as a man who approaches killing almost like a science. The disguises, the preparation, the construction of weapons, the study of his surroundings and his ability to disappear into different identities are often more interesting than the act of killing itself.

Opposite him is Lashana Lynch's Bianca Pullman, an agent of the British intelligence services who does not see the Jackal as just another target. Their relationship is what gives the series its real rhythm, because it gradually becomes clear that hunter and prey begin to resemble each other more than they would like. Both are people who allow their work to take up an increasingly large part of their lives, although the price they pay is obviously different.

That is also where the series' greatest success lies. It is not simply a thriller about an assassin who needs to be caught by MI6. It is a story about obsession. The Jackal wants to complete every assignment because it is what he knows how to do best, while Bianca wants to catch him because, at a certain point, the case becomes personal. The series may open its story across Europe, but its real core remains these two people.

The production is also one of its strongest cards. The series was filmed in several European countries, with Hungary, Austria and Croatia being used among others for different locations in the story. In fact, the Jackal's home, presented as his residence in Cádiz, Spain, is actually located in Rabac, Croatia. This helps significantly in giving the series the feeling of a truly international manhunt rather than a production pretending to be in different countries, something that, unfortunately, is not always done particularly well.

Of course, using one country to portray another is not a problem in itself; it is a technique that is constantly used in film and television. The question is whether the audience believes it. The Day of the Jackal succeeds to a large extent because the filmmakers did not simply put up a sign saying “Cádiz” and add some Spanish-looking sets. The production team chose Croatia because the particular area could convincingly evoke the Spanish coast and then added Spanish influences to the villa, the vegetation and the surrounding environment. Even the interiors were filmed on sets in Budapest, while the team made sure to maintain the same aesthetic across the different parts of the location.

And here there are cases where this technique does not work nearly as well. When a production uses one city to portray another simply because it is cheaper or easier to film there, without genuinely trying to recreate the city we are supposed to be seeing, the illusion can collapse very easily. A characteristic example is Hitler: The Rise of Evil, where Prague was used to portray different German and Austrian cities, something that in certain scenes made the geography of the story feel rather artificial. On the other hand, Chernobyl used Lithuania to recreate Pripyat and the Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant to portray the nuclear facility, using genuine Soviet-style buildings and creating a much more convincing recreation. In the case of The Day of the Jackal, the choice of Croatia works precisely because the production does not simply try to hide the real location, but transforms it through production design into something that fits the story.

And the audience embraced it. The first season premiered in November 2024 and reached 3 million viewers on Sky within its first week, an achievement that made it the biggest Sky Original up to that point. A few weeks later, the first episode had reached 4.5 million viewers in Britain within 26 days according to BARB figures, making it the biggest new series ever launched on Sky.

The success was not limited to Britain. In the United States, the series reached number one on Peacock's Top 10 and ranked among the Top 5 streaming originals during its first weekend, according to initial Nielsen figures. At the same time, in Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and Ireland, it recorded the biggest debut for a British Sky Original up to that point, while overall it was sold in almost 200 territories worldwide.

One of the most interesting pieces of trivia concerns Frederick Forsyth himself. The author had sold the film rights to his book decades ago for just £20,000, while the new television production was reportedly made for around $126 million. For the new series, he received only a symbolic payment for the use of the title, which he described more as a gesture than a financial arrangement.

And there is another nice detail connecting the new The Day of the Jackal with its old cinematic history. The 1973 film was known for its obsession with detail and for following a large part of the Jackal's preparation, something that is also a key characteristic of the new series. In the old film, there are actually 31 different shots featuring clocks, a detail that shows how important the sense of time was to Zinnemann's storytelling.

That is also why I believe the series has a stronger connection to the 1973 film than it initially appears. Not in terms of plot, but in philosophy. In both cases, the Jackal is not a superhuman who simply shoots everyone. He is a professional who succeeds because he plans better than everyone else.

And now comes Season 2

The second season is already in the editing stage, with its return scheduled for spring 2027. I expected it to be released in 2026, but that will unfortunately not happen, as the information that came out at the end of August points to 2027. Eddie Redmayne naturally returns as the Jackal, while Pablo Schreiber and Weruche Opia have joined the cast. Production took place in London, Budapest and Croatia, among other locations.

The most important thing is that Season 2 does not appear to simply start from the same point in order to repeat the formula. The first season left the Jackal with several unresolved issues, while Nuria has moved away from his life. Redmayne himself has said that he believes his character is genuinely in love with her, while one of the official teasers for the second season makes a very characteristic promise: the Jackal does not like unfinished business.

And that, for me, is the most interesting point about what comes next. The first season showed us how well the Jackal functions when he has a target, a plan and someone to hunt. The second season will have to show us what happens when a man who has learned to control everything begins to lose control of his personal life.

Personally, I am really looking forward to it. I expected it to be released in 2026, but that will not happen, as the information that came out at the end of August says 2027 instead, unfortunately. I will wait, and I will bring you any new information that is actually worth including on Playview.eu.