1 Of The Best Spy Thrillers Of The Century Is Based On The Book That Inspired Reacher

One of the best modern spy thriller TV adaptations served as a remake of an iconic 1973 movie. Interestingly, the movie was based on a seminal crime thriller novel that also inspired Lee Child’s Jack Reacher. The spy thriller series in question, The Day of the Jackal, premiered on Peacock in November 2024 and soon earned wide acclaim from viewers and critics before landing two Golden Globe nominations.

The Day of the Jackal is based on a renowned Frederick Forsyth novel, which was previously adapted by Fred Zinnemann’s hit movie of the same name. However, even though the movie and the show share the same source material, they are significantly different because of how the show modernizes the original novel’s story.

To ensure that the source material’s political underpinnings feel more relevant and relatable to modern audiences, The Day of the Jackal takes many creative liberties and draws intriguing real-world references. Despite these changes, though, it stays true to the novel’s essence, explaining its success on Peacock. Surprisingly, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books, too, draw heavily from the Frederick Forsyth book.

At first sight, Reacher and The Day of the Jackal might seem like completely different crime thrillers. However, a closer look at their protagonists and Lee Child’s inspiration reveal a lot of common ground.

The Day Of The Jackal Was 1 Of Lee Child’s Key Literary Inspirations

Less than a year ago, Lee Child published an article (via The Guardian) in which he recalled reading Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal for the first time. He remembered realizing that the novel was nothing like other literary works in the genre. Instead of being a well-fleshed out and sympathetic character, its protagonist was a complete cipher.

The book barely revealed anything about his past or motivations. He does not even have a name and is referred to as the titular “Jackal.” Yet, you end up rooting for him and hope to see him win. Reading The Day of the Jackal helped Lee Child realize that Forsyth defied genre conventions of the time, and instead of focusing on the main character’s “who, why, where and when,” he simply described his “how.”

The mere exploration of the protagonist’s intricate processes and the “inside information” surrounding his mission was intriguing enough to keep a reader hooked.

Traces of the same formula can be found in Lee Child’s Jack Reacher books and their TV adaptation on Prime Video. The books and the show maintain an air of mystery around Reacher. While many books in the Reacher series give a glimpse of Jack Reacher’s military past, he is always portrayed as a mysterious stranger who walks into a small town, solves crime, and then leaves without leaving any trace of his presence.

Jack Reacher even avoids revealing his name unless it is absolutely necessary. Like The Day of the Jackal, the Jack Reacher books also heavily focus on how Reacher brilliantly puts his deductive abilities and tactical prowess to good use instead of being too fixated on his motives.

Both Reacher and the “Jackal” are portrayed as lone wolves who do not bore readers with long-winded monologs about who they are. Although the Jackal is more anti-heroic than Jack Reacher, Reacher, too, is a perfectionist who keeps emphasizing how “details matter.“

Day Of The Jackal’s New TV Show Perfectly Captures The Original Book’s Biggest Strength

Peacock’s take on Frederick Forsyth’s The Day of the Jackal is not a loyal book-to-screen adaptation. Perhaps the biggest change in the series is its modern setting, where it moves the action of the original story to the present day. The Jackal, who is brilliantly portrayed by Eddie Redmayne, is also not a complete enigma in the series and is also revealed to have a wife and a child.

However, despite giving a small peak into his personal life, The Day of the Jackal‘s TV show perfectly nails his psychological profile. There are long sequences in the series that also walk through his meticulous processes and how he determines everything from wind speed to bullet trajectory to ensure every detail is accounted for in his carefully orchestrated plans.

Redmayne perfectly captures the character’s cold detachment from his job, showing how he is neither driven by hate nor political convictions. When Redmayne is on the screen, he completely steals the show by getting his character’s calm intensity right. Despite the screen presence, though, you still somehow understand why the Jackal remains invisible to others and walks around like a ghost without ever raising any suspicion.

While The Day of the Jackal on Peacock is not as widely popular as Reacher yet, it is arguably as compelling as the Prime Video crime thriller. Hopefully, like Reacher, it will, too, get more follow-up seasons in the near future.