Cape Fear has already been immortalised in screen history. There’s the 1962 version, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum. Martin Scorsese did it in ’91 with brooding gothic flair and Robert De Niro on bruising form. And, most importantly, The Simpsons perfected it with ‘Cape Feare’ (hey, the other versions don’t have extended stepping-on-rakes gags). Now, a fresh take is coming in – a ten-episode streaming series on Apple TV, with Javier Bardem stepping into the formidable role of vengeful felon Max Cady, hunting down those who put him behind bars. Bring on the fear.
Showrunner Nick Antosca is embracing the previous adaptations in his series – and twisting them into something new. “It’s like you’ve seen the [other versions], then went to sleep and had a nightmare about it,” he tells Empire. “And you’re bringing your own stuff to it, and what’s in the atmosphere culturally. It’s like a nightmare remix.” This time, Bardem’s Cady is coming after Amy Adams’ Anna, Cady’s former lawyer, and her husband, Patrick Wilson’s Tom, Cady’s prosecutor. The cat-and-mouse chase as he stalks his prey will be full of suspense. “It’s a very paranoid show,” Antosca says. “We should either feel like we’re watching, voyeuristically — or feel paranoid that we’re being watched.”
While he’s doing his own thing, Antosca had advisors on standby who more than know the material – like Scorsese himself, who executive produces the show. “I would email him and say, ‘Can you help us with this scene?’” says Antosca. “We would get on with him and he would say, like, ‘Well, maybe roll this cut a few frames.’ And his notes, unsurprisingly, are amazing.” Here’s hoping he added some rake-stepping slapstick too.
Read Empire’s full Cape Fear story in the Mandalorian And Grogu issue – on sale Thursday March 12. Pre-order a copy online here. Cape Fear comes to Apple TV from June 5.