‘The Day of the Jackal’ Peacock Shows Green Light For The Series Adaptation

The film from 1973 ‘The Day of the Jackal’ got an adaptation by a peacock in partnership with the sky. The Day of the Jackal is an espionage thriller written by Frederick Forsyth and published in 1978. The story follows a British intelligence agent who discovers that he has been targeted for assassination on the day of an ostensible coup attempt in France. To ensure his survival, he must locate and assassinate one man, known as The Jackal or simply “The Man” by some sources. The original novel was adapted into a film in 1973 by Fred Zinnemann which starred Michael Lonsdale as ‘The Jackal’. In the story, Lonsdale is a hitman who has been hired to kill an anti-French politician. The Englishman decides to instead save the politician, but after he is forced to assassinate the politician’s wife and remaining children, he becomes ‘The Jackal’ 

Who is in the cast of ‘The Day Of The Jackal’?

• Edward Fox as the Jackal
• Michel Lonsdale as Deputy Commissioner
• Terence Alexander as Lloyd
• Michel Auclair as Colonel Rolland
• Alan Badel as the French Interior Minister
• Tony Britton as Superintendent Brian Thomas
• Derek Jacobi as Caron
• Denis Carey as Casson
• Cyril Cusack as the Gunsmith
• Maurice Denham as General Colbert
• Delphine Seyrig as Colette de Montpellier
• Jacques François as Pascal
• Olga Georges Picot as Denise
• Raymond Gérôme as Flavigny
• Barrie Ingham as St. Clair
• Jean Martin as Victor Wolenski
• Ronald Pickup as the Forger
• Vernon Dobtcheff as the Interrogator
• Eric Porter as Col. Marc Rodin
• Anton Rodgers as Jules Bernard

What is The Day Of The Jackal?

The Day Of The Jackal film is a 1973 thriller about revenge on the part of a group of military veterans. After French President Charles de Gaulle announced he was granting Algeria independence, these men were greatly upset as they had lost their careers and lives. They decide to hire an assassin known only as “Jackal” to kill de Gaulle after his inauguration during the day of the inauguration despite knowing that Jackal’s task will be impossible. Unfortunately, Jackal’s plans are ruined when it rains on the day of the inauguration and de Gaulle has to wade through a crowd to get into his car. This sequence shows off both the professionalism of Jackal and his ingenuity as he decides first that he must kill de Gaulle’s bodyguard, then quickly realizes that there are too many people around de Gaulle for him to fire from where he is positioned.

What were audience reviews?

The critical reviews of Day Of The Jackal were positive. Roger Ebert gave the film three out of four stars praising the film as “an intelligent, skillful thriller.” Commenting that director Fred Zinnemann “keeps the plot spinning along, without ever missing a beat,” Ebert also expressed appreciation of Charles Fréger’s cinematography saying: “The movie looks great, dark and rich, with bright primaries and lots of action in crowds.” Cinematographer Charles Fréger did a great job creating both tension and movement in the scenes with Jackal by using striking lighting and camera angles.

What fans are expecting from the adaptation? 

It could be a good deal if they choose the right actor with the right attitude. Also, it is hard to imagine how the new adaptation can be more extraordinary than the first film. But still, fans are excited because of the nostalgia factor. ‘The Day of the Jackal’ Peacock Shows Green Light For The Series Adaptation. Peacock Productions has acquired the rights to Fredrick Forsythe’s novel, ‘The Day of The Jackal,’ for a TV series.