Weruche Opia has been cast as a series regular in Season 2 of Peacock and Sky’s The Day of the Jackal. She joins Pablo Schreiber, who is also boarding the new season, alongside Eddie Redmayne, returning as the titular assassin.
Based on the Frederick Forsyth novel and the 1973 Universal film, the series centers on an elite, near-mythical lone hitman known as the Jackal (Redmayne), whose precision work commands the highest fees. Details about Opia’s character — as well as the Season 2 logline — are being kept under wraps.
Season 1 was a breakout on both sides of the Atlantic. In the U.K., The Day of the Jackal became Sky’s biggest-ever new series launch. In the U.S., it ranked as a Top 10 streaming original drama during its premiere week (Nov. 14, 2024) and again during the finale week (Dec. 12, 2024), according to Nielsen.
The series is produced by Carnival Films, with Gareth Neame, Nigel Marchant, and Marianne Buckland executive producing alongside Redmayne, writer David Harrower, director Brian Kirk, Sam Hoyle (Sky Studios), Sue Naegle, and Ronan Bennett. NBCUniversal Global TV Distribution handles international sales.
Opia is best known for her BAFTA-nominated turn as Terry in HBO’s I May Destroy You. Her recent and upcoming work includes Netflix’s Ladies First, Amazon’s limited series Bait opposite Riz Ahmed, and her portrayal of Coretta Scott King in Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Genius: MLK/X for Hulu/Disney+.
Season 2 is shaping up to expand an already high-stakes world — and with Opia and Schreiber stepping in, the pressure just got turned up.