Matt Smith is set to play the lead role in a TV adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel, The Death Of Bunny Munro.
The actor, known for roles in Doctor Who and House Of The Dragon, will also executive produce the six-part series alongside Cave. Isabella Eklöf (Industry) will direct the Sky Original series, from a screenplay written by Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy).
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Per a press release, a synopsis for the show reads: “Following his wife Libby’s suicide, sex addict, door-to-door beauty product salesman and self-professed lothario Bunny Munro finds himself saddled with a young son and only a loose concept of parenting. Together with nine-year-old Bunny Junior he embarks on an epic and increasingly out-of-control road trip across Southern England as the two struggle to contain their grief in very different ways.
“As Bunny bounces from one sales pitch to the next, trying to seduce any woman he meets, Bunny Junior kills time talking to the ghost of his mother and distracting himself from the dawning realisation that his dad isn’t just fallible, he’s a fucking mess. As he starts to unravel, Bunny realises he must do something to rescue his son from his own outdated notions of what it is to be a man. The Death of Bunny Munro is a darkly comic and unflinching modern-day parable as well as a tender portrait of the relationship between father and son.”
The search is currently underway for an actor to play young Bunny Junior, with the hope of casting an “exciting new talent”.
Speaking about the role, Smith said: “To work alongside Nick Cave on The Death of Bunny Munro feels like a great honour. It’s a brilliant exploration of love, grief, and chaos. At its heart a deep, difficult, and tender story about a father and son, coping with loss and change.
“Clerkenwell Films and Sky feels like the perfect home to make such a bold story and Pete has delivered such wonderful scripts, both funny and heart breaking in equal measure. I can’t wait to collaborate with Isabella and begin the journey with everyone at Clerkenwell.”
“Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale,” Cave said in a statement. “I am thrilled that Sky and Clerkenwell Films are bringing Bunny to life, in all his flawed glory, and I can think of nobody better than Matt Smith to play him.”
Filming on the series is scheduled to begin in Spring 2024 across the south of England. A release date has yet to be announced.
Released in 2009, The Death Of Bunny Munro is Cave’s second novel, following 1989’s And The Ass Saw The Angel. He has released several other books over his career, including poetry and short story collections like King Ink and 2015’s The Sick Bag Song.
