Eddie Redmayne as the Jackal in ‘The Day of the Jackal’.Photo:Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited
Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited
Eddie Redmayneis ready for a bit of a break from the chaos of living life as the Jackal.The British actor, 42, stars as the titular assassin in Peacock’sThe Day of the Jackal, which came toan explosive ending with a two-episode season finaleon Thursday, Dec. 12, and he tells PEOPLE about the “huge amount of work” that went into adapting the beloved Frederick Forsyth novel anew.“It had been a while since I’d done television, so I signed on without knowing how the thing would resolve, and the scripts kind of come in as you’re going, so there was a huge amount of work that went into it,” Redmayne says.He’s happy that the finale “retain[ed] the kind of shock factor from the original film and the kind of abruptness” of how it wraps up, “even though there had been a realignment as to who survives.“The final episode saw Bianca (Lashana Lynch), the MI-6 agent who had been relentlessly chasing the Jackal for weeks, meet her end at the Jackal’s hands in his home in Cádiz, Spain.“The unraveling of the Jackal, this character who is so steely and opaque and clean, I found an intriguing prospect,” Redmayne says of how season 1 leaves his character.Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch attend the New York premiere of “The Day Of The Jackal” at Walter Reade Theater on October 17, 2024.Michael Loccisano/GettyWith Bianca off his tail, the Jackal can theoretically start anew in season 2 — which the series was renewed for in November. But Redmayne says he’s “an addict,” so that’s not likely to be the case.“I think after that last moment, once he’s got himself together again, his addiction I think is to the chess-playing element of what he does. I don’t think it’s about the money. I mean, he’s clearly quite a shoddy accountant, because he never seems to be getting paid, but it’s about the meticulousness of the planning and the virtuosity of the scenarios.“He continues, “Even though from the outset of this season one, he has been going, ‘I’m ready to give up,’ you just can’t imagine the guy sitting on a lovely sun lounger in Cádiz, just living his best life.“There’s an irony to how season 1 leaves off, too. “He’s someone that detests chaos, and at the end of the season everything is left in a chaotic place. But he is a bit like me — someone that needs to re-find order — but he’s doing it… I think he’s going to go about it in a pretty focused way.“With season 1 in the rearview, Redmayne, who is also an executive producer on the series, is already fielding questions about what is coming next — even if he’s not exactly ready to think about season 2 yet.Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal in ‘The Day of the Jackal’.Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited"At the moment, because it has been such an extraordinary but all-consuming thing, getting season 1 out into the world — both from an acting and a producorial element — my head is kind of too foggy to have specifics,” he admits. “But I am dreaming of locations.“He’s open to ideas, but Redmayne says that “pretty much all the [places] that Nuria mentions in that phone call” would work for him.“I’m like, the Maldives? Maybe Bali? I wouldn’t mind some skiing,” he admits. “But everyone is like, ‘Okay, Eddie, can we talk about plot?’ I’m like, ‘How about we talk about really beautiful places and clothes?'“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.Season 1 ofThe Day of the Jackalcan be streamed in full on Peacock.
Eddie Redmayneis ready for a bit of a break from the chaos of living life as the Jackal.
The British actor, 42, stars as the titular assassin in Peacock’sThe Day of the Jackal, which came toan explosive ending with a two-episode season finaleon Thursday, Dec. 12, and he tells PEOPLE about the “huge amount of work” that went into adapting the beloved Frederick Forsyth novel anew.
“It had been a while since I’d done television, so I signed on without knowing how the thing would resolve, and the scripts kind of come in as you’re going, so there was a huge amount of work that went into it,” Redmayne says.
He’s happy that the finale “retain[ed] the kind of shock factor from the original film and the kind of abruptness” of how it wraps up, “even though there had been a realignment as to who survives.”
The final episode saw Bianca (Lashana Lynch), the MI-6 agent who had been relentlessly chasing the Jackal for weeks, meet her end at the Jackal’s hands in his home in Cádiz, Spain.
“The unraveling of the Jackal, this character who is so steely and opaque and clean, I found an intriguing prospect,” Redmayne says of how season 1 leaves his character.
Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch attend the New York premiere of “The Day Of The Jackal” at Walter Reade Theater on October 17, 2024.Michael Loccisano/Getty
Michael Loccisano/Getty
With Bianca off his tail, the Jackal can theoretically start anew in season 2 — which the series was renewed for in November. But Redmayne says he’s “an addict,” so that’s not likely to be the case.
“I think after that last moment, once he’s got himself together again, his addiction I think is to the chess-playing element of what he does. I don’t think it’s about the money. I mean, he’s clearly quite a shoddy accountant, because he never seems to be getting paid, but it’s about the meticulousness of the planning and the virtuosity of the scenarios.”
He continues, “Even though from the outset of this season one, he has been going, ‘I’m ready to give up,’ you just can’t imagine the guy sitting on a lovely sun lounger in Cádiz, just living his best life.”
There’s an irony to how season 1 leaves off, too. “He’s someone that detests chaos, and at the end of the season everything is left in a chaotic place. But he is a bit like me — someone that needs to re-find order — but he’s doing it… I think he’s going to go about it in a pretty focused way.”
With season 1 in the rearview, Redmayne, who is also an executive producer on the series, is already fielding questions about what is coming next — even if he’s not exactly ready to think about season 2 yet.
Eddie Redmayne as The Jackal in ‘The Day of the Jackal’.Marcell Piti/Carnival Film & Television Limited
“At the moment, because it has been such an extraordinary but all-consuming thing, getting season 1 out into the world — both from an acting and a producorial element — my head is kind of too foggy to have specifics,” he admits. “But I am dreaming of locations.”
He’s open to ideas, but Redmayne says that “pretty much all the [places] that Nuria mentions in that phone call” would work for him.
“I’m like, the Maldives? Maybe Bali? I wouldn’t mind some skiing,” he admits. “But everyone is like, ‘Okay, Eddie, can we talk about plot?’ I’m like, ‘How about we talk about really beautiful places and clothes?'”
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Season 1 ofThe Day of the Jackalcan be streamed in full on Peacock.
source: people.com
