Matt Smith to star in TV adaptation of Nick Cave’s The Death of Bunny Munro

Sky announced today that Matt Smith, will take the lead in a new Sky Original adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel The Death of Bunny Munro.

BAFTA and Emmy-nominated actor Matt Smith (House of the Dragon, The Crown,) will not only star in the titular role but also serve as an executive producer. The six-part series is penned by BAFTA winner Pete Jackson and directed by Isabella Eklöf.

Produced by Clerkenwell Films in association with Sky Studios, this adaptation of Cave’s darkly comic novel marks a significant collaboration, with Cave himself also joining as an Executive Producer.

The story follows Bunny Munro, a sex-addicted, door-to-door beauty product salesman, reeling from his wife Libby’s suicide. Left with his young son, Bunny Junior, Munro struggles with a loose grasp of parenting.

Their journey becomes a wild and increasingly chaotic road trip across Southern England, as they each grapple with grief in their own ways. Bunny’s misguided attempts at seduction are contrasted with Bunny Junior’s conversations with his mother’s ghost, revealing the deep and complex dynamics of their father-son relationship.

The search for an actor to play Bunny Junior is currently underway, aiming to discover a new talent for this pivotal role.

The series is set to begin filming in Spring 2024 across the south of England and will be available on Sky Atlantic and the streaming service NOW in the UK.

Matt 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.”

Nick Cave added: “Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale. 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.”