Matt Smith on Board for The Death of Bunny Munro Adaptation

Matt Smith (House of the Dragon, The Crown) is set to star in and executive produce the Sky original adaptation of Nick Cave’s darkly comic novel The Death of Bunny Munro.

The six-part series is written by Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy), directed by Isabella Eklöf (Industry, Holiday) and is based on Cave’s sophomore novel. The series is produced by Clerkenwell Films in association with Sky Studios. Cave, a multi-talented acclaimed musician and writer, also serves as executive producer.

The show follows sex addict, door-to-door beauty product salesman and self-professed Lothario Bunny Munro, who finds himself saddled with a young son and only a loose concept of parenting following his wife’s suicide. Together with 9-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 realization that his dad isn’t just fallible; he’s a mess. As he starts to unravel, Bunny realizes he must do something to rescue his son from his own outdated notions of what it is to be a man.

Smith will star in the titular role, and the search for an actor to play the young Bunny Junior is underway.

Smith said: “To work alongside Nick Cave on The Death of Bunny Munro feels like a great honor. It’s a brilliant exploration of love, grief and chaos. At its heart, it is 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 heartbreaking in equal measure. I can’t wait to collaborate with Isabella and begin the journey with everyone at Clerkenwell.”

Cave said: “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.”

Petra Fried, managing director of Clerkenwell Films, said: “We’re so excited to be working with Pete, Matt, Nick, Isabella and Sky on The Death of Bunny Munro, a timely tale about masculinity, dark and twisted but also full of humor and humanity. Pete’s scripts brilliantly capture Nick’s creation, and we can’t wait to see Matt bring this singular anti-hero to life.”

Meghan Lyvers, director of original series for Sky Studios UK&I, said: “We are thrilled to support Pete Jackson, Matt Smith, Nick Cave, Isabella Eklöf and Clerkenwell Films in bringing this beloved novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, to screen as a provocative, heartbreaking and powerful examination of a relationship between father and son as we build on our commitment to bring bold characters and ambitious stories to our Sky audiences.”

The series will begin filming in spring 2024 across the south of England and will be available on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the U.K. NBCUniversal Global Distribution will handle international sales of the series on behalf of Sky Studios.