Eddie Redmayne has teased "brilliant twists and turns" in the hotly anticipated second season of Sky's smash-hit thriller, The Day of the Jackal, which is currently being filmed outside of Vienna.
The gripping espionage series, which drew a record audience of three million in the first week of its release in November 2024 and has been hailed by viewers as a "masterpiece", is based on the classic 1971 book by Frederick Forsyth. It follows the highly elusive, lone wolf assassin, Jackal (Redmayne), who makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee.
© Marcell Piti/SKY/CarnivalAppearing in a pre-recorded video at Sky's UP NEXT showcase in London on Wednesday, which was attended by HELLO! and unveiled its exciting slate for 2026, Eddie revealed what fans can expect from season two.
"We are at a baronial castle somewhere just outside of Vienna on the set of the second season of The Day of the Jackal," began Eddie, who was dressed in all-black while standing outside a stunning castle in sunny Austria.
"I can't tell you how good it feels to be back, getting under the skin of whatever disguise the Jackal happens to be wearing that day," said the Oscar winner. "I'm so thrilled by what David Harrower (creator) and our brilliant team of writers have concocted.
© Marcell Piti/SKY/Carnival"It feels like it's got all of the cinematic heritage and contemporary innovation that season one had, but has somehow raised those stakes even higher."
Teasing the compelling season two plot, Eddie continued: "There are so many brilliant twists and turns and moments of gigantic scale, but also very, very delicate intimacy.
"I can't wait for you to see the scale and the ambition of what we are aspiring to here. It really is pretty much unlike anything we've seen before," he added.
What is The Day of the Jackal about?
The highly compelling ten-part series offers a fresh twist on Frederick Forsyth's iconic novel. Set in modern day, the story centres on the Jackal, a master assassin who completes contract kills for big fees, while leading a double life as a family man with a wife and child.
The series also introduces M16 agent Bianca Pullman (Lashana Lynch), who is tasked with tracking down the Jackal.
© Marcell Piti/SKY/CarnivalIn this addictive cat-and-mouse chase, the hunter becomes the hunted.
The synopsis reads: "An unrivalled and highly elusive lone assassin, the Jackal, makes his living carrying out hits for the highest fee. But following his latest kill, he meets his match in a tenacious British intelligence officer who starts to track down the Jackal in a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe, leaving destruction in its wake."
What to expect from season two
Eddie will, of course, reprise his role as the Jackal.
He's joined by new cast members, Pablo Schreiber (Halo, Orange Is the New Black) and Weruche Opia (I May Destroy You) in season two.
© Marcell Piti/SKY/CarnivalMeanwhile, we're likely to see the return of Úrsula Corberó, who plays Jackal's wife, Nuria, alongside Charles Dance as financier Timothy Winthrop and Eleanor Matsuura as businesswoman Zina Jansone.
Plot details have been kept firmly under wraps so far.
