Classic Thriller Day Of The Jackal Is Becoming A Series On Peacock

After acquiring the streaming rights to the recent "Halloween" movies, the ongoing "Chucky" franchise, and even a "Friday the 13th" prequel series (yes, which means you can start placing your bets on when exactly we'll receive a crossover extravaganza), Peacock continues to make some pretty significant moves.

Variety reports that UK broadcaster Sky Studios and the Peacock streaming service have joined forces to create a series based on the 1971 political thriller novel "The Day of the Jackal," written by author Frederick Forsyth, and its classic 1973 big-screen adaptation of the same name, directed by Fred Zinnemann. Set in 1963 during the pivotal moment in history when French president Charles de Gaulle granted neighboring Algeria its independence, the fictional story follows a ruthless assassin who goes by the codename of "Jackal" who is recruited by the far-right Organisation de L'Armée Secrète (OAS) to take out de Gaulle in retaliation. The novel went on to win a Martin Beck Award and an Edgar Award for Best Novel in 1972, while the film adaptation, starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale, achieved critical acclaim a few years later.

Sky and Universal International Studios released a statement announcing the news, saying:

"The new series is a bold, contemporary reimagining of the beloved and respected novel and film. While remaining true to the DNA of the original IP, 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."

A "The Day of the Jackal" series is coming to Peacock and Sky to warm the hearts of airport paperback thriller fans everywhere. The drama series will feature the talents of screenwriter Ronan Bennett ("Public Enemies," "Top Boy") as writer and showrunner, while Brian Kirk ("Game of Thrones," "Penny Dreadful," "21 Bridges") will serve as the lead director on the series. It is expected to enter into production in the summer of 2023. For those in the United States, Peacock will become the streaming home while residents of the U.K., Ireland, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria can see "The Day of the Jackal" on Sky. NBCUniversal Global Distribution has been put in charge of sales internationally.

Carnival Films executive producer Gareth Neame had this to say about the announcement, promising to stay faithful to the source material while making necessary changes to account for streaming:

"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. 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."

Will this espionage thriller become the next "Bourne" series, ready to break out with international audiences? We have a bit of a wait ahead of us to find out. In the meantime, stay tuned to /Film for updates on this series as they come in.