With ‘The Death of Bunny Munro’, writer Pete Jackson takes on the task of adapting Nick Cave’s cult novel into a television series, that balances dark humour, humanity, and emotional depth. In a candid chat with ETimes, Jackson opened up about his creative process, working with director Isabella Eklof, and collaborating with lead actor and executive producer Matt Smith as they tapped their inner emotions and demons to bring this complex tale to life. Excerpts:
What was your initial response when you first read the book for this adaptation? How did you collaborate with director Isabella on transitioning the novel to screen?
Pete Jackson:
Initially, when I first read the book, I was terrified at the prospect of adapting it because I couldn’t quite work out how on earth you’d do it. I mean, the book is so singular and so wild and so brilliant. And I think realising, of course, that the two things are such a different language, you know, novel and TV show, and feeling kind of, you know, fearless enough to be able to kind of change what needed to be changed while being very sure to remain incredibly faithful to the tone and the spirit of Nick’s brilliant book.And then when Isabella came on board, which is after I think I’d written a few episodes, she only ever kind of enriched and improved, you know, and her working with her on the script towards the later episode was a joy. You know, she had a very kind of clear vision for it that was thrilling, you know, and different to mine as I’d had it originally. And so there was a sort of a moment of, you know, shifting and changing. And it was brilliant. You know, it’s been a brilliant collaboration with everyone involved.
There’s been talk about the show being viewed through a female gaze. How did that shape the writing and production process, especially given its emotionally heavy themes?
Pete Jackson:
One of our concerns throughout the writing process had been how, whether we were objectifying women and how to avoid objectifying. And when we got Isabella on board, one of the first things she said in answer to that question is we… what’s the word I’m sort of looking for? I was, I’ve just lost a word now. I just said it. What we do to women, we objectify. Okay. But in answer to the question of how we avoid objectifying women, Isabella’s take was we objectify everyone. We objectify Bunny. You know, we make him beautiful. We make him sexy. And, you know, there’s a reason that he is as successful as he is, you know? And so, yeah. So it was very important to us that she was our director. You know, she seemed to understand that so clearly.
As a writer, where do you draw inspiration when crafting such intense and layered stories?
Pete Jackson:
I think crucially and terrifyingly, the inspiration is often from within us. I think, you know, when I read the book, my pitch to Clarke-Kunwald when I wanted to adapt it was that I understand it in ways that I wish I didn’t. I think a lot of men do. I think a lot of people do. You know, I think it speaks to our sort of darker, wilder selves and our sort of perhaps shameful kind of impulses sometimes. And I think it’s important to explore those things and to not shy away from it.I always talk to newer writers who talk a lot about, you know, bringing themselves to the page and exploring things. And I always think, don’t just explore the things you’re proud of, though. Don’t just explore the good bits. What about all the stuff you’re not proud of? You know, what about all the stuff that scares you? And that’s important, I think, to explore as well and present because I think that’s how you really connect and you connect possibly that isn’t often done. People don’t often put that on screen. And I think it’s important for viewers to see, you know, and engage with. Because otherwise you start feeling judged if you just see awesome, flawless, brilliant people doing brilliant things on screen, you know.
What was your first impression when Matt Smith came on board as both lead actor and executive producer? Did his involvement shape the script in any way?
Pete Jackson:
Having Matt Smith on board allowed us to be bolder, I think, than we ever thought we could be because there’s such an innate charm and charisma and kindness and sweetness to Matt that it allowed us to push scenes so far because you always stayed with Bunny, even in his kind of worst moments, even his darkest moments and through his worst behaviours because Matt, it was such a complex portrayal that he gave that you know that his heart, he’s a, Bunny is a broken man and a victim in his own right in a weird way. And I think Matt bought all of that. So we were never fearful of, you know, of turning an audience off with his behaviour.
Raphael also delivers a standout performance as Bunny Jr. What made him perfect for the role?
Pete Jackson:
He’s just such a great actor. He’s, and he’s got this sort of beautiful kind of big watchful eyes, you know, Bunny Jr’s an observer, you know, and he watches everything unfold around him. And his journey is so kind of complex and full. And, you know, it’s a sort of journey when talking in terms of one’s relationship with our fathers that most men go on over the course of a lifetime. And we have Bunny Jr going through that journey over the course of really few days. And it takes an extraordinary talent, I think, to pull that off. And Rapha did it. And it was amazing to watch. And he was an absolute joy to work with.
Your recent works often feature children at the emotional core of very adult narratives. What draws you to that perspective?
Pete Jackson:
God, it’s a good question. I don’t know. Maybe one for my therapist. I don’t know. I think father-son relationships are fascinating. I think that, you know, our relationships with our own fathers and then our relationships with our own children are endlessly complex.With ‘Somewhere Boy’, I wanted to explore how an act of love, really, for one’s child can spiral out of control and ultimately kind of become abuse, you know. But how essentially these stories aren’t simple and how the characters aren’t simple. You know, with ‘Somewhere Boy’ and with ‘Bunny’, I wanted to explore this idea that there’s no monsters, you know, that actually the world is only full, really, of people trying their absolute best and usually getting it terribly wrong. And I think that’s usually sort of crystallized in one’s relationship with a child and with your relationship with a parent. You know, it’s when we need to be at our best and we’re often at our worst.
The score by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis adds a haunting emotional layer to the series. How did that collaboration come about?
Pete Jackson:
Well, we were very lucky in that Nick and Warren wanted to do the score and have written such a brilliant, beautiful score. And which, you know, sort of becomes a character in its own right and, you know, elevates everything. And so, yeah, I think it’s a huge part of it. And obviously we’ve got the kind of absolute best, you know, to do it.” Go to Source
