Nick Cave's second novel, 2009's The Death of Bunny Munro, is set for adaptation into a limited TV series starring House of the Dragon's Matt Smith. The dark, comic novel concerns a door-to-door salesman and sex addict whose life is derailed by tragedy.
The Death of Bunny Munro - a novel by Nick Cave | Matt Smith
"Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale," said Cave in a statement. "I am thrilled that [producers] 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 will play the lead role of Bunny Munro, a door-to-door beauty product salesman and seducer whose life goes off the rails after his wife Libby’s suicide. Together with his son Bunny Junior, he takes off on a road trip across Southern England as the two struggle to handle their grief. Director Isabella Eklöf and Cave will also executive produce the series.
Smith, in a statement, called Cave's novel "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."
Matt Smith speaking at the San Diego Comic-Con, July 15, 2012
This is not the first time Cave's written work has made its way to the screen. The singer-songwriter is credited as writer and soundtrack co-composer (with Warren Ellis) of The Proposition, a 2005 Australian Western. He undertook a book signing tour in September and October to publicize the paperback release of his memoir Faith, Hope and Carnage while simultaneously weaving in a North American solo tour, accompanied by Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood.
Cave also revealed that a new Bad Seeds album is forthcoming, having completed work in the studio back in July. The as-yet-still-unnamed album has no announced release date.
Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds perform at All Points East Festival in London, August 28, 2022
Matt Smith, who has just wrapped up work on the folk horror film Starve Acre, has been cascading from one genre to another. He recently starred in Marvel's Morbius, alongside Jared Leto. His Emmy-nominated character of Prince Daemon Targaryen in House of the Dragon will be continuing into Season 2 and his casting of Prince Philip in the Netflix series The Crown also earned him an Emmy nomination.
His most famous portrayal on screen was as the Eleventh Doctor (from 2010-2013) on the BBC series Doctor Who. He is not set to make an appearance during the 60th anniversary celebration. However, as an interesting note, his Doctor was replaced by Ncuti Gatwa (the upcoming Fifteenth Doctor) in a revamped clip from a 2013 docudrama.
