Oscar-winning actor Eddie Redmayne is set to lead in the series The Day of the Jackal for American streaming service Peacock. The actor will be portrayed as an assassin hired by a French paramilitary dissident to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1962. 

The Day of the Jackal is based on the Frederick Forsyth thriller novel and subsequent award-winning 1973 film adaptation of the same name. However, the series will tell a reimagined version of the story in the contemporary turbulent geo-political landscape and go in-depth into the assassin character. 

Bankrolled by Carnival films, The Day of the Jackal has Ronan Bennett as the writer and showrunner of the series. Brian Kirk, who had previously helmed episodes of Game of Thrones and Luther, is on board to direct the series. 

Meanwhile, Eddie Redmayne, along with Jessica Chastain, last appeared as a serial killer in The Good Nurse. He has earned broad appreciation for his role and secured major award nominations, including Golden Globe Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.