Where was The Death of Bunny Munro filmed?

The Death of Bunny Munro is finally making its live-action debut on Sky Atlantic and NOW, with the sordid saga unfolding against the backdrop of the south coast of England.

The miniseries stars Matt Smith as the title character, a door-to-door salesman in the early 2000s who takes his nine-year-old son on an impromptu road trip after a personal tragedy.

Alas, it's not all fun by the seaside; both Bunny and Bunny Jr (played by Rafael Mathé) are processing enormous grief, with the older of the two turning to harmful vices as an unsustainable 'quick fix' solution.

Adapted from the novel by musician and writer Nick Cave, The Death of Bunny Munro is based in a city he knows all too well, from its beauty to its darker side. Read on for his insight on why he chose this distinct location for this singular tale.

Where is The Death of Bunny Munro filmed?

The Death of Bunny Munro was primarily filmed in Brighton and Hove, along with other locations in Sussex.

Australian author and musician Nick Cave lived in the coastal city for around two decades, but moved away shortly after his son's tragic death at the age of only 15.

Speaking at London Literature Festival, Cave explained his choice of Brighton as the setting of his novel: "Sadly or beautifully, there's a lot of depressing seaside towns in this lovely country.

"Maybe [The Death of Bunny Munro] could be set in any of them, but I knew Brighton really well. And Brighton is this very, very beautiful place. And it's a weirdly happy place, but there is this sort of dark undertone to it as well."

Speaking to Condé Nast Traveller, Cave elaborated on what he refers to as Brighton's darker side, recalling days earlier in his career when he would stay at cheap and sleazy hotels in an attempt to cleanse after drug binges in London.

"I would rent some horrible flea bag hotel in Brighton that was often decorated for people to have sex in, with mirrored ceilings and these circular, heart-shaped beds and all of this sort of s**t," he shared.

"And I would just lie there for a few days, trying to get myself back together again. So Brighton always had this seedy side, which is largely, I think, lost these days."

Indeed, set in 2003, The Death of Bunny Munro depicts Brighton at a "particular time" in its history, with Cave going so far as to incorporate that year's fire at the beach's West Pier into the story's opening.

On that plot point, Cave said: "When I was writing the story, two images kept coming into my mind. They're both iconic and metaphorically resonant in their own way.

The first was the West Pier in flames. The second was Kylie Minogue's gold lamé hot pants that she wore in the Spinning Around video. These two things seemed to be interconnected.

"There was an interesting correlation between the two, which had, for me, something to do with the collapse of civilisation in some way. I was there – I stood and watched that pier burn down. So, it was very much in my mind anyway."

As Bunny and his son, Bunny Jr (Rafael Mathé), head out on the road, the production ventured out of Brighton to film scenes elsewhere in Sussex, including Worthing, Eastbourne and Shoreham-by-Sea (via Kent Live).

Reflecting on his time in the area, Bunny Munro star Matt Smith told Condé Nast: "It's one of the few places outside London that I'd go and live. We filmed up on the Downs, which was amazing. I just loved being there.

"And it's weird – we sort of became a character of Brighton, in a way. People would go, 'Oh, they're doing that Bunny show.'"

The Death of Bunny Munro is available on Sky Atlantic and NOW from Thursday 20th November 2025.

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