Matt Smith to star in TV adaptation of Nick Cave's novel

Matt Smith is set to star in a TV adaptation of Nick Cave's novel, The Death of Bunny Munro.

The British actor has landed the lead role in the upcoming limited series, an adaptation of Cave's novel, a dark comedy of the same name.

The six-part series, executive produced by Cave, written by Pete Jackson and directed by Isabella Eklöf, is scheduled to begin filming by spring 2024.

The Crown star will play Bunny Monro, a door-to-door beauty product salesman who struggles with sex addiction in addition to the loss of his wife Libby, who died by suicide. Monro and his nine-year-old son, Bunny Junior, embark on a turbulent road trip across Southern England to attempt to cope with their grief.

In a statement, Smith said that Cave's novel is 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".

"Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale," Cave, an Australian musician and writer, stated. "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."

The novel was released in 2009.