Doctor Who and The Crown star Matt Smith will star in and executive produce a Sky adaptation of acclaimed musician Nick Cave's darkly comic novel The Death Of Bunny Munro.

The six-part series, written by BAFTA winner Pete Jackson (Somewhere Boy, Love In Recovery) and directed by Isabella Eklöf (Industry) is produced by Clerkenwell Films (Misfits, The End Of The F***ing World in association with Sky Studios.

The plot is described as follows: "Following his wife Libby's suicide, sex addict, door-to-door beauty product salesman and self-professed lothario Bunny Munro finds himself saddled with a young son and only a loose concept of parenting. Together with nine-year-old Bunny Junior he embarks on an epic and increasingly out-of-control road trip across Southern England as the two struggle to contain their grief in very different ways.

"As Bunny bounces from one sales pitch to the next, trying to seduce any woman he meets, Bunny Junior kills time talking to the ghost of his mother and distracting himself from the dawning realisation that his dad isn't just fallible, he's a fucking mess. As he starts to unravel, Bunny realises he must do something to rescue his son from his own outdated notions of what it is to be a man. The Death Of Bunny Munro is a darkly comic and unflinching modern-day parable as well as a tender portrait of the relationship between father and son."

The show will go into production next year, and the search to find a young actor to play Bunny Junior is already underway.

Matt Smith says: "To work alongside Nick Cave on The Death Of Bunny Munro feels like a great honour. It's 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. Clerkenwell Films and Sky feels like the perfect home to make such a bold story and Pete has delivered such wonderful scripts, both funny and heart breaking in equal measure. I can't wait to collaborate with Isabella and begin the journey with everyone at Clerkenwell."

Nick Cave comments: "Finally, someone with the courage to take on this unholy tale. 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."

Petra Fried from Clerkenwell Films adds: "We're so excited to be working with Pete, Matt, Nick, Isabella and Sky on The Death Of Bunny Munro, a timely tale about masculinity, dark and twisted but also full of humour and humanity. Pete's scripts brilliantly capture Nick's creation, and we can't wait to see Matt bring this singular anti-hero to life."

Meghan Lyvers from Sky Studios concludes: "We are thrilled to support Pete Jackson, Matt Smith, Nick Cave, Isabella Eklöf and Clerkenwell Films in bringing this beloved novel, The Death Of Bunny Munro, to screen as a provocative, heart-breaking, and powerful examination of a relationship between father and son as we build on our commitment to bring bold characters and ambitious stories to our Sky audiences."

The series will begin filming in Spring 2024 across the south of England and will be available on Sky Atlantic and streaming service NOW in the UK later in 2024.