Actor Matt Smith was today spotted filming a new film based on a Nick Cave novel in a Brighton launderette.
Crews were pictured at Soapbox in Montreal Road, Hanover, this morning.
Smith, known for his starring roles in Doctor Who, The Crown and House of the Dragon, has been cast as the eponymous hero of The Death of Bunny Munro, Nick Cave’s Brighton-set novel.
In the novel, Munro takes his young son in a car as he visits various places around Brighton and Hove as the West Pier burns.
The picture above was taken by Soly Daneshmand and Tim Price, who own Ju-Ju and have appeared on screen themselves, in Mary Queen of Shops and Squid Game The Challenge.
Tim was unphased by the filming – he said: “I was a Doctor Who fan when the outfits were made from plastic washing up bottles and sink plungers back in the 70s- not really any more. And I find Nick Cave interesting and annoying in equal measures.”
The former Doctor Who star should be at home in Montreal Road, where eleven years ago, one resident claimed he once found a “vortex to another dimension”. The wormhole has not been spotted since.
Also filming in Brighton this month is ITV drama Grace, starring another Doctor Who alumni John Simm, who played The Master.
Both Smith and Simm appeared in one episode, but they did not share screen time as The Master had been defeated by David Tennant’s doctor before regenerating into Matt Smith’s.
The book is being turned into a six-part television series for Sky Atlantic, written by BAFTA winner Pete Jackson and directed by Isabella Eklöf.
It is produced by Clerkenwell Films in association with Sky Studios.
When the film was announced, Matt Smith said: “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 said: “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.”
“Unphased”? Surely, that should be unfazed.
I remember that launderette well, having lived nearby for about 30 years.
I wonder if Matt Smith was able to fix a dodgy dryer with his sonic screwdriver?
where is it?
Amazing! I love that novel and so pleased it’s come to life, somehow it embodies the essence of Brighton! Typical though I miss Matt Smith being down the road!