Sixteen years after its controversial publication, Nick Cave's provocative novel The Death of Bunny Munro has finally made its way to television screens, with Matt Smith taking on the challenging lead role that multiple actors previously avoided.
From Page to Screen: A Long Journey
Nick Cave revealed that at least four different production companies attempted to adapt his frequently hilarious yet disturbing novel over the past 16 years, but all faced the same fundamental problem: finding an actor willing to portray the deeply problematic main character. Matt Smith, known for his role as Doctor Who and subsequent twisted character choices, ultimately stepped up to play Bunny Munro, the sex-addicted travelling makeup salesman whose behaviour drives the narrative.
"I think it's important to tell stories that feel challenging and difficult and polarising, and I thought this would be all of those things," Smith explained during interviews in London. "But actually, at its heart, it's about a father and son, and it's really beautiful."
The Challenge of Adaptation
Originally published in 2009 after being conceived as a film script for Australian director John Hillcoat, The Death of Bunny Munro follows a sex-obsessed salesman who, after contributing to his wife's suicide through constant infidelity, kidnaps his bookish son when social services intervene. The pair embark on a surreal road trip around Sussex, with Bunny's shocking inner monologue and seemingly amoral worldview defining the story.
The Sky adaptation, directed by Isabella Eklöf and written by Pete Jackson, presents a slightly toned-down version of the novel. Much of the explicit content is conveyed through sound and dialogue rather than visual depiction, including the scene that earned Cave a Bad Sex award nomination - Bunny's rape of a woman under heroin influence. This approach results in a somewhat more sympathetic portrayal of Bunny, though he remains undeniably creepy, regularly abandoning his child to seduce bored housewives.
Working With Sensitive Material
One of the most delicate aspects of production involved working with nine-year-old actor Rafael Mathé, who plays Bunny Junior. Smith described the careful measures taken to protect the young actor from the explicit content. "We were really lucky in that we had a brilliant young actor in Raf, who's smart and understood the emotional complexity of the story, even at such a young age," Smith said.
The production team implemented strict protocols, shooting scenes in strip clubs and other adult environments separately from Mathé's involvement. "You shoot the scene in the strip joint with the beers and strippers and the naked people first, and then he comes in, and he doesn't see any of that," Smith explained. "I would swear on my takes, and on his takes, I'd say the word frig or flip or sugar."
Character Complexity and Contemporary Relevance
Cave believes Smith's portrayal brings a different dimension to the character. "The problem with Matt is that he's handsome and sexy, and that makes the whole thing slightly more dubious, because he's doing the same things," Cave observed. "Women actually like it in the show - you can see the sort of pulling power that he has, and I find that more discomfiting in a way. There's something about the fact that Matt is hot that is quite problematic."
Both Cave and Smith see the current cultural moment as particularly suited for Bunny Munro's story. "I think the world is hungry for things that step outside the expectations of our culture these days," Cave noted, suggesting that younger audiences are particularly receptive to challenging material that tests contemporary puritanical tendencies.
The novel originally courted controversy for its sexually charged fixation on celebrities Kylie Minogue and Avril Lavigne. Cave eventually apologised to both women, though he now reflects that his apology "may have been tongue in cheek." Regarding Minogue, whom he knows personally, Cave revealed: "I asked Kylie what she thought, and she was like: 'Well, I've actually not read your book yet.' And this went on for years."
For Smith, the role represents exactly the kind of challenging material he seeks. "It's always been hard to find parts like Bunny Munro; they're rare, really rare," he said. "I remember all that in-your-face theatre in the 90s, I used to love all that. There was something about it that's appalling ... but it made me sit on the edge of my seat. That's what Bunny can do."
The Death of Bunny Munro premieres on Sky Atlantic on 20 November, bringing Cave's long-awaited vision to television audiences with Smith's compelling performance at its centre.
