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Eddie Redmayne Is Unrecognizable in First Trailer for Peacock Thriller The Day of the Jackal

Redmayne and costar Lashana Lynch escalate the assassin’s stakes in a cat-and-mouse chase across scenic Europe. 

By Benjamin Bullard

As the titular assassin of The Day of the Jackal, Peacock’s upcoming thriller series, Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne has to look and play his high-level bad guy’s role with the kind of life-or-death panache that defies even the tightest of Europe’s law enforcement dragnets. We're talking Deft disguises, a cold moral compass, and totally killer precision.

RELATED: Peacock Teams Up with Eddie Redmayne for Assassin Thriller The Day of the Jackal

Based on author Frederick Forsyth’s critically adored 1971 novel of the same name, The Day of the Jackal arrives this fall as a Peacock original series, pitting Redmayne’s high-level assassin (aka “the Jackal”) against the equally cunning right side of the law — in this case, a clever and determined British intelligence officer named Bianca (played by Marvel movie veteran and Bob Marley: One Love standout Lashana Lynch).

Watch the trailer for Peacock's The Day of the Jackal

To get our cat-and-mouse thrill-seeker’s blood pumping, Peacock has just revealed a treasure trove of all-new series intel, including the above first-look teaser and some super-sweet still images (scroll below for more on those!).

The Day of the Jackal is slated to premiere exclusively on Peacock on Thursday, November 7, streaming on the bird app as a 10-part series from an executive producing team that includes Redmayne himself (Lynch also serves as a producer), alongside Downton Abbey creative aces Gareth Neame and Nigel Marchant.

RELATED: MCU and 007 Star Lashana Lynch Joins Eddie Redmayne in Peacock's Day of the Jackal

In a fresh in-depth interview with Vanity Fair, Redmayne and Lynch sound equally dialed in on getting to play a pair of able antagonists out to foil each other’s schemes. “They have a really complex moral compass and do horrendous things, but are also extraordinarily talented,” Redmayne confided. “You’re drawn to them and repelled by them in equal measure.”

Lashana Lynch in The Day Of The Jackal Episode 101

Lynch, meanwhile, teased what might result in a collision — one that could be positively epic — between the series’ two polar-opposite forces of nature. “We were passing ships in the night,” she said, crediting a rigorous round of shared behind-the-scenes gym time with helping prepare both herself and Redmayne for some incredible on-screen chemistry.

“We were like, ‘So we’re really doing this — how’s your training going?’” Lynch explained: “‘Well, I’m tired.’ ‘Oh, I’m tired too. Fantastic.’ ‘All right, so we can be tired together?’ ‘Great.’”

RELATED: Peacock Goes Behind-the-Scenes of Roland Emmerich's Those About to Die (WATCH)

As the first-look photos below hint, Redmayne really got to explore a ton of different looks as the Jackal, donning amazingly persuasive disguises as his character — a high-IQ baddie who never looks the same way twice — goes in for the stealthy kill. “One of the things I love about acting is getting to shift what you look like and how you sound,” he said “We certainly had room to play.”

First look: Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch in The Day of the Jackal on Peacock

If the teaser above isn’t enough to tide you over until the November 7 premiere, well — no worries! Peacock has your back with a compelling batch of first-look photos from the series, which also stars Money Heist acting alum Úrsula Corberó as a newly-conceived character who’ll play a major part in probing the mysterious missing pieces of the Jackal’s enigmatic backstory.

Lashana Lynch in The Day Of The Jackal Episode 105
Eddie Redmayne in The Day Of The Jackal episode 102
Eddie Redmayne in The Day Of The Jackal Episode 101
Ursula Corbero in The Day Of The Jackal Episode 105
Eddie Redmayne in The Day Of The Jackal Episode 105
Eddie Redmayne in The Day Of The Jackal episode 101

The Day of the Jackal officially premieres on Peacock beginning Thursday, November 7.

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