After going through a major shakeup, The Day of the Jackal season 2 is taking a big step forward.
Peacock’s breakout spy thriller, led by Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne, announced in September 2025 that series creator Ronan Bennett is taking a step back from his writing duties due to other commitments. David Harrower, best known for his work on the acclaimed Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth, will serve as head writer, while Bennett will remain as executive producer on The Day of the Jackal season 2.
Eddie Redmayne as the titular assassin in The Day of the Jackal
Deadline confirms that The Day of the Jackal season 2 is now in production. The reporting comes in the context of reporting on Redmayne’s upcoming slate of projects. In addition to leading and executive producing The Day of the Jackal, he was recently announced as the star of an upcoming Searchlight Pictures​ film ​​​​​​from director Hirokazu Kore-eda. Plot details and the name of the film are currently unknown.
Co-led by No Time to Die and The Woman King star Lashana Lynch, The Day of the Jackal is based on the Frederick Forsyth novel that has already inspired multiple movie versions. It centers on a highly skilled, elusive assassin known as the Jackal (Redmayne), who carries out hits for the highest bidder. After his latest job, he draws the attention of a determined British intelligence officer (Lynch), setting off a relentless pursuit across Europe that leaves chaos and destruction in its wake.
Debuting in November 2024, and consisting of 10 episodes, the adaptation is a co-production between Sky in the United Kingdom and Peacock in the U.S. It made headlines as Sky’s biggest Original series ever, garnering 3 million viewers in its first week and coming in ahead of notable dramas like House of the Dragon and Chernobyl. Meanwhile, for Peacock, The Day of the Jackal became the streamer’s most-watched new original drama series ever.
The thriller has taken notable steps forward in the past few weeks, including adding two new actors to The Day of the Jackal cast. Weruche Opia, known for I May Destroy You and MLK/X, and Halo lead star Pablo Schreiber are both set to appear alongside Redmayne in series regular roles. Their character details are under wraps.
Plot details are also under wraps so far, but the new episodes will pick up after The Day of the Jackal’s eventful season 1 ending. With a new creative voice and some new faces, it will be interesting to see what’s potentially revealed about the next chapter as production moves forward.
Network
Sky Atlantic
Directors
Brian Kirk
Writers
Ronan Bennett
Charles Dance
Timothy Winthrop