The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. He soon meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who tracks him down in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe.. Check out our list of renewals and cancellations to see if your favorite show made the cut.. Forsyth was working as a freelance journalist covering the Biafran War. When it ended he returned to Britain, unemployed and unsure what to do next. He said: 'I came back Christmas '69, thoroughly skint. I don’t have a likelihood of a job, don’t have a flat, don’t have a car and don’t have any savings. Then I had this crazy, crazy idea to write a novel. 'Everybody said you must be joking or mad because the chances of even getting it published are hundreds to one, even thousands.' Within weeks of publication, the film rights were snapped up. Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars battled to play the Jackal in the 1973 film but the role went to the then unknown Edward Fox because director Fred Zinnemann thought he could pass invisibly in a crowd. (Air Mail). Referenced in The Graham Norton Show: Denzel Washington/Paul Mescal/Saoirse Ronan/Eddie Redmayne/Blossoms (2024). Eddie Redmayne delivers a spellbinding performance, embodying the titular assassin with a chilling precision that makes him both terrifying and magnetic. Redmayne’s meticulous approach to the role elevates the tension, making his every move feel calculated and inevitable. His ability to blend charm with menace ensures that the audience is both repulsed and fascinated, capturing the essence of the character’s duality. Unfortunately, Lashana Lynch’s performance pales in comparison, feeling wooden and uninspired. Her portrayal of a determined intelligence operative lacked depth, often coming across as one-dimensional and overly reliant on clichés. In a series that thrives on nuance and detail, her character’s lack of complexity stands out in a negative way. Overall, the film is a gripping adaptation, but it struggles at times with uneven performances. Redmayne’s brilliance alone makes it worth watching, but Lynch’s shortcomings slightly diminish the experience.