House of the Dragon's Matt Smith Cast in New Limited Series

Matt Smith is known for an array of projects ranging from Doctor Who to House of the Dragon, and soon he'll be returning to TV in a new limited series. Smith is set to produce and star in an adaptation of The Death of Bunny Munro, Nick Cave's comic novel. The adaptation is set to be a six-part series written by Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy) and directed by Isabella Eklöf (Industry, Holiday).

In addition to Smith, The Death of Bunny Munro is being produced by Clerkenwell Films (The End of the F***ing World, Misfits) in association with Sky Studios. Eklöf and Cave are also serving as executive producers of the series. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show is set to begin filming next Spring. 

Smith will play Bunny Munro, who is described as "a sex addict, door-to-door beauty product salesman, and self-professed lothario whose life is derailed by his wife Libby's suicide." In the novel, Bunny Munro and his 9-year-old son Bunny Junior go on an "increasingly out-of-control" road trip across Southern England after Libby's death. 

"Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale," Cave said in a statement. "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."

In another statement, Smith called the 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."

Petra Fried, managing director of Clerkenwell Films, called the story "a timely tale about masculinity," saying it's "dark and twisted but also full of humor and humanity." Fried added, "Pete's scripts brilliantly capture Nick's creation, and we can't wait to see Matt bring this singular anti-hero to life."

According to the report, the role of Bunny Junior has yet to be cast.

Matt Smith Addresses House of the Dragon Sex Scenes:

Matt Smith's Daemon Targaryen is a fan-favorite character in House of the Dragon who had some questionable encounters with his young niece Rhaenyra Targaryen (previously Milly Alcock, now Emma D'Arcy) before marrying her. However, fans learned back in the Game of Thrones days that Targaryens wed each other all the time, and it's become pretty commonplace to see these types of relationships unfold in Westeros. In fact, many fans have found themselves shipping the couple. Last year, Smith spoke with the Los Angeles Times and was asked about filming his sex scenes for House of the Dragon. 

"Ick factor?" Smith said. "It's hard. You're constantly questioning it. But you have to take the modern-day morality away. It's a different time. It's a story, and the story requires that these two characters do that. So you do it." He added, "But I think we were lucky with Clare Kilner, the director [of King of the Narrow Sea]. She handled the sex scenes as well as I've seen them handled."

House of the Dragon returns for its second season next year.

Are you excited about The Death of Bunny Munro? Tell us in the comments!