Frederick Forsyth, Author of Thrillers Made Into Movies Like ‘The Day of the Jackal,’ Dies at 86

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As a devoted cinephile, I’m saddened to share the news that Frederick Forsyth, the renowned British author of suspenseful novels who often graced the bestseller charts, passed away at his home in Jordans, England, on Monday. At 86 years old, he left behind a remarkable legacy, with over 70 million books sold and several of his works, such as “The Day of the Jackal,” “The Odessa File,” and “The Dogs of War,” being brought to life on the silver screen. His death, confirmed by The New York Times, was reportedly due to a brief illness, as stated by his literary representative, Jonathan Lloyd.

In 1973, the novel “The Day of the Jackal” by Frederick Forsyth was transformed into a movie titled the same way, directed by Fred Zinnemann and featuring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale in lead roles. The plot revolves around Edward Fox’s character, an unnamed professional assassin referred to as the “Jackal,” who is tasked with killing French President Charles de Gaulle during the summer of 1963. The film was well-received by critics and audiences alike, and it later inspired a series in 2024 starring Eddie Redmayne.

Roger Ebert expressed his surprise at how exceptional the film was, stating that it’s not just a timeless suspense masterpiece, but also a flawlessly crafted piece of cinematic art. The film is constructed with precision, comparable to a finely made watch. The screenplay carefully gathers an abundance of intriguing elements, and then Zinnemann skillfully arranges these elements so that the narrative — despite its complexity — unfolds in a strikingly realistic manner, almost like a documentary.

As a passionate cinephile, I can’t help but reflect on the intriguing tale behind the creation of “The Jackal” (1997), a movie that bore a name synonymous with Michael Caton-Jones’ work. Starring big names like Richard Gere, Bruce Willis, Sidney Poitier, and Jack Black, this film was inspired by an original story, but it diverged significantly from its roots. The central character, an assassin known as the Jackal, aimed to eliminate a critically important figure, yet the narrative bore scant resemblance to the initial tale.

The author, Forsyth, refused to lend his name to this new interpretation, demonstrating his disassociation with it. Interestingly, director Zinnemann engaged in a heated battle with the studio to prevent the new film from bearing the same title as its predecessor.

1972’s novel “The Odessa File” penned by Forsyth was transformed into the 1974 movie bearing the same title, directed by Ronald Neame and featuring Jon Voight, Maximilian Schell, and Maria Schell. In this film, Voight portrays a German journalist who uncovers a clandestine group of former S.S. members called ODESSA. He infiltrates their ranks and unearths a plan to transport chemical weapons for warfare against Israel. Andrew Lloyd Webber contributed the music score.

In 1980, the novel “The Dogs of War” was transformed into a film, with Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger portraying characters from a compact team of mercenaries. These mercenaries were hired secretly to overthrow the president of a fictional African nation called Zangaro. The primary objective was to pave the way for a British business magnate to exploit a vast platinum mine in that region.

In 1987, the Cold War spy movie “The Fourth Protocol,” based on a novel by Forsyth, was produced in Britain. This film featured Michael Caine and Pierce Brosnan as its leads. Brosnan portrayed a major from the KGB, who secretly came to the U.K. with an unauthorized mission: to gather components for an atomic bomb and detonate it at a British military base. The goal was to create an illusion of a nuclear accident that would strain the relationship between Britain and the USA, making the anti-nuclear movement stronger before elections. This advantage would allow the Soviet Union to take control.

As of January 2016, Forsyth’s latest book, “The Kill List” published in 2013, was undergoing development for a feature film. Lem Dobbs handled the adaptation, and Rupert Sanders was scheduled to direct.

In 1999, Forsyth’s work titled “The Phantom of Manhattan” – a follow-up to “The Phantom of the Opera” – was a shift from his typical writings. As he explained to Larry King in 2000, “I had written about mercenaries, assassins, Nazis, murderers, terrorists, special forces soldiers, fighter pilots, and more, but I wondered if I could truly write about the human heart.” Although this novel didn’t garner the same level of success as his other works, Forsyth eventually went back to writing modern thrillers. Interestingly, “The Phantom of Manhattan” provided at least a part of the inspiration for Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 2010 romantic musical production, “Love Never Dies.

Forsyth contributed to the storylines in various TV films produced in both the U.S. and the U.K., such as “Cry of the Innocent” (1980) and “Code Name: Wolverine” (1996). He also held both story credit and executive producer positions on numerous TV movies like “Just Another Secret” (1989), “The Price of the Bride” (1990), “A Little Piece of Sunshine” (1990), “Death Has a Bad Reputation” (1990), “Pride and Extreme Prejudice” (1990), and “A Casualty of War” (1990). The 2005 Hallmark Channel movie “Icon” was an adaptation of one of his novels, as was the TNT film “Avenger” (2006) starring Sam Elliott, Timothy Hutton, and James Cromwell, which were also based on Forsyth’s novels.

Frederick Forsyth was born in Ashford, Kent, and attended the University of Granada, Spain.

When he was 19 years old, he became the youngest pilot in the Royal Air Force, serving from 1956 to 1958. However, he opted for a career as a journalist since it offered him the opportunity to travel and manage his own time. After three years as a local reporter, he joined Reuters and spent the following four years in Europe. During this period, he worked in London and Paris from 1961 to 1963, and then served as bureau chief in East Berlin from 1963 to 1964.

1965 marked the year he began working at the BBC. Assigned to cover a war in Biafra, Nigeria, what he witnessed during this ruthless and callous conflict caused him discomfort with the BBC’s editorial stance on reporting it. Consequently, he decided to resign from his position and work independently. Years later, he published his first book, “The Biafra Story,” a non-fiction account that stirred much controversy.

1969 saw him choose to leverage his journalistic stint with Reuters in France as the foundation for a gripping thriller. In just 35 days, he crafted “The Day of the Jackal,” a novel that has gone on to sell approximately 10 million copies worldwide.

In September 2015, Forsyth’s autobiography titled “The Outsider: My Life in Intrigue” was released, revealing that he had been a part of Britain’s MI6 for over two decades, a period that began when he was tasked to supply information regarding the Biafran War.

As a devoted cinephile, I’ve always had a hunch that the renowned author Forsyth, at 77 years old, known for his exceptionally realistic spy novels, might have had some ties to the British intelligence.

The author shared with the BBC that he didn’t receive any payment for the details he disclosed. During that time, the atmosphere was distinctly different as the Cold War was at its peak.

In spite of achieving renown as an author following the success of “The Day of the Jackal,” which granted him a three-book contract, he also embarked on assignments in Rhodesia, South Africa, and during the peak of the Cold War, East Germany.

Forsyth was twice married, the first time to model Carole Cunningham.

He leaves behind his second spouse, Sandy Molloy (married in 1994), as well as two sons, Frederick Stuart and Shane Richard, from his previous marriage.

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2025-06-09 23:18