Much like “A Star is Born” is destined to be remade roughly once a generation, so too does “Cape Fear” keep finding its way back to film and TV. John D. MacDonald’s novel “The Executioners” was first made into a movie titled “Cape Fear” in 1962, which was eventually remade by Martin Scorsese in 1991; there was also a legendary episode of “The Simpsons” parodying the story. And now there’s a TV version of the tale set for this summer.
In all versions, “Cape Fear” is a psychological thriller focusing on Max Candy, a hardened criminal and murderer who leaves prison and stalks and harasses the family of the attorney (played by Gregory Peck and Nick Nolte in the 1962 and 1991 versions, respectively) responsible for putting him behind bars. The TV version changes the premise slightly; this time, Candy is after a married pair of public defenders who represented him, but hid evidence to ensure he would go to prison.
Javier Bardem plays Candy in the TV show, after Robert Mitchum and Robert De Niro played the character in the film versions, and from the trailer seems to be giving a performance that brings to mind his prior villain roles like Anton Chigurh in “No Country For Old Men.” Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson play his targets Anna and Tom Bowden, with Anna serving as the more morally dubious of the attorney pair. Joe Anders and Lily Collias play Anna and Tom’s teen children, with Malia Pyles, CCH Pounder, Jamie Hector, and Anna Baryshnikov round out the show’s supporting cast.
The TV show comes from “Channel Zero” creator Nick Antosca, who showruns and executive produces. Scorsese is also onboard as an executive producer alongside Steven Spielberg, Bardem, and Adams. The series is the second remake of a ’90s thriller Apple TV has produced, after the successful “Presumed Innocent” TV adaptation starring Jake Gyllenhaal that premiered in 2024.
The first two episodes of “Cape Fear” premiere on Apple TV on June 5. The series will release new episodes every Friday weekly, with its tenth and final episode arriving on July 31. Watch the full trailer below.
