Matt Smith is set to lead an adaptation of Nick Cave’s novel, The Death of Bunny Munro. Smith, known for his role as the Eleventh Doctor in Doctor Who, as well as his more recent performance of Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon, will play the titular role.
The novel is the second by Australian-born Nick Cave, also known as the lead singer of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, who performed the infamous opening credits song to Peaky Blinders.
Cave will serve as an executive producer, with BAFTA-winning Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy) writing the script. Isabella Eklöf, who directed four episodes of finance drama Industry, is set to direct the series.
Following the titular character Bunny Munro, the novel explores travelling salesman Munro’s struggle to deal with his grief after his wife’s suicide, as he is forced to care for their young son, Bunny Junior. The two embark on a wild road trip around Brighton, as Munro’s alcoholism and sex addiction come to a head, and his son begins talking to a ghost of his dead mother to cope. Alongside this darkly comic examination of grief, there is the additional plot of a serial killer stalking Brighton in a devil costume.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Cave praised the casting choice, stating: “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.”
Smith expressed his excitement for the role in a statement, saying: “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.”
The six-part Sky Studios series is set to start filming in Spring 2024. Additional casting announcements are expected to follow, with the search for a young Bunny Junior already underway.
Words by Emily Nutbean
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