The trailer for Eddie Redmayne’s new project has dropped and it’s giving total James Bond vibes.
Eddie stars in the Sky Atlantic series The Day of the Jackal, a reimagining of the classic novel into a contemporary political setting.
In our first glimpse at Eddie in character, the actor can be seen getting pursued by a British intelligence officer (Lashana Lynch).
The 10-part series is based on the book by Frederick Forsyth and the subsequent 1973 thriller starring Edward Fox as the Jackal.
A synopsis says the programme is about ‘an unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin’, the Jackal, played by The Danish Girl star Eddie, 42, who ‘makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee’.
But after his latest kill, ‘he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer’ called Bianca who starts to track down the Jackal in ‘a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe’.
In the first-look trailer, Lashana’s character describes Eddie’s Jackal as ‘an exceptional assassin’.
She adds: ‘Our man works alone. He never looks the same way twice.’
The trailer features clips of the Jackal changing his appearance, driving across the European countryside and taking aim with a rifle.
Also interspersed in the teaser are videos of Lashana embarking on a pursuit to find him.
It ends with the Jackal saying ‘you know who I am’ in a voiceover before he takes aim and shoots what appears to be a melon.
First-look pictures show Oscar-winner Eddie wearing a suit and hat while sitting outside and holding a newspaper.
carrying out hits for the highest fee (Picture: Marcell Piti)
Another shows The Woman King actor Lashana holding a gun while wearing body armour.
The series also stars Money Heist actress Ursula Corbero as Nuria, a character who is close to the Jackal’s personal life, and Game Of Thrones actor Charles Dance as Timothy Winthrop.
Other cast members include The Crown’s Khalid Abdalla, The Capture star Lia Williams, The Walking Dead’s Eleanor Matsuura, and Slow Horses actor Nick Blood.
The series has been written and adapted by Ronan Bennett, creator of the Bafta TV award-winning series Top Boy, and the lead director is Brian Kirk.
Reacting to the first trailer, fans have already been going wild for Eddie, with X user babenataliemay writing: ‘omg eddie redmayne and lashana lynch?? can’t wait to see this’.
‘Looks dope, will be seated as always with Eddie Redmayne’, wrote slythwalker_28.
Speaking ahead of the series launch, Eddie told Vanity Fair that music icon David Bowie served as inspiration for his physical transformation.
On working with his frequent movement coach, Alex Reynolds, to create Jackal’s facial expressions, he said: ‘We found this brilliant interview of David Bowie back from the 70s or 80s, a rare occasion in which he was interviewed just as himself rather than any huge costumes.
‘He was talking about using costume and makeup and personas as a disguise to mask himself. That was intriguing.’
Eddie also shared his hopes that viewers can separate the show from real-world events.
‘What happened was horrific, and to be absolutely clear, this is a reimagining of an original IP, and it’s in no way aiming to glorify gun violence or in any sense endorse real-life actions.’
The Day Of The Jackal is coming to Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK and Peacock in the US on November 7.
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