The Death of Bunny Munro book to show changes: Nick Cave gives verdict

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Matt Smith, known for his role as Doctor Who, stars in the new series The Death of Bunny Munro, now available on Sky Atlantic and NOW. It’s one of his most daring performances yet.

A popular actor from House of the Dragon stars as a somewhat irresponsible father in a darkly funny and moving story. He takes his heartbroken son on a journey through East Sussex while facing the possibility of losing custody to social services.

This six-episode series adapts the novel by musician Nick Cave, and while it draws on some of his personal experiences, he’s emphasized that the story and its main character aren’t directly autobiographical.

It makes sense why he’d want to clarify things, considering both the novel The Death of Bunny Munro and the TV show portray the main character in a very negative and unattractive way.

The show keeps the disturbing qualities that divided readers of the original book, but author Cave notes that screenwriter Pete Jackson significantly expanded the story when adapting it for the screen.

The Death of Bunny Munro book to show differences: Nick Cave’s verdict

Nick Cave commended Pete Jackson’s adaptation of his novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, calling it “beautiful” and noting that Jackson successfully transformed the book’s inward focus into a story that works well for film.

At the London Literature Festival, the musician and writer admitted he was initially doubtful about yet another effort to turn his book into a film or show. He shared this with Q&A host Edith Bowman.

He initially had reservations, but reading the script for the first episode immediately changed his mind. It was so well-written that he felt comfortable handing over the writing duties to someone else and trusting them to continue the series.

He described it as a wonderfully crafted piece, noting that it was specifically designed for television. He explained that it differed from the book, which focused heavily on the character’s internal thoughts and observations about the world around him.

“The book doesn’t have a lot of major plot developments,” Cave explained. “Bunny mainly experiences a series of unpleasant events. However, Pete consistently included elements early on that kept the story moving.”

The author particularly liked the introduction of two social workers. Their visit to Bunny’s messy apartment unexpectedly causes him to flee with his son, adding more danger to their already difficult situation.

According to Cave, the show is exceptionally well-written for television, allowing it to explore complex and even dark themes while maintaining a lightheartedness and charm that keeps it engaging.

A major difference between the novel, The Death of Bunny Munro, and the Sky series lies in the casting choices. Nick Cave believes the lead actor’s attractiveness significantly changes the narrative.

He described the character of Bunny in his book as unpleasant and unlikeable, noting he wasn’t physically attractive or skilled in intimacy, speaking at the London Literature Festival.

He’s a bit of a loser who constantly tries to take advantage of situations, but usually fails. Because of this, it wasn’t as difficult to portray him compared to having Matt play the role – Matt naturally exudes charisma and attractiveness, like a walking, talking fire emoji.

Cave explained that this version of the story is actually bolder because the women are drawn to the character, even though it’s obvious what he’s doing. They still find his charm appealing.

The lead singer of The Bad Seeds didn’t mind the alteration, actually finding that it “made the situation even more unsettling.”

The Death of Bunny Munro is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW.

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2025-11-20 20:07