The Jackal is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Michael Caton-Jones. It is a loose remake of the 1973 film The Day of the Jackal, which was in turn based on the 1971 novel by Frederick Forsyth. The film stars Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Diane Venora and Sidney Poitier in his final theatrically released film role. A professional assassin known only by his codename "Jackal" (Willis) is hired to assassinate a high-level American VIP. The FBI recruits an imprisoned Provisional IRA member (Gere) to catch him.