Javier Bardem is taking on one of the most infamous mantles in film history, second only to Hannibal Lecter: Max Cady, the disturbing serial killer at the center of Cape Fear. With Apple TV+’s new adaptation of the classic streaming now, FANGORIA has an exclusive behind the scenes clip of Bardem getting into character, describing just what makes Cady so awful.
Inspired both by Martin Scorsese’s 1991 film and the novel it’s based on, titled The Executioners, Cape Fear stars Wilson and Adams as a pair of attorneys who find themselves in peril when a killer they put behind bars is released, chomping at the bit for vengeance. The series also stars Joe Anders, Lily Collias, and CCH Pounder, and is executive produced both by Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, who produced the original film.
Our exclusive clip features Bardem describing all the ways he found the character of Max Cady, and how he differentiated his version from others. He describes Cady as a panther, from the way he moves and takes his time with his victims, right down to the contact lenses he wears to make his vision a sharp, unsettling green, just like the jungle predator.
The 10-episode Cape Fear series is actually the third adaptation of The Executioners, which was originally written in 1957 by John D. MacDonald. The story was originally brought to the silver screen in 1962, starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum as the attorney and his violent stalker, respectively. Both men appeared in minor roles in Scorsese’s remake, which starred Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange, and went on to earn two Academy Award nominations.
Nick Antosca serves as creator and showrunner of Cape Fear, and produces alongside Bardem, Adams, Alex Hedlund, Darryl Frank, Justin Falvey, and Morten Tyldum, the latter of whom directs the first episode. The series arrives three years after it was originally announced in 2023, joining a lineup of prestige TV on Apple that also includes Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, Widow’s Bay, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and more.
If you’re really curious about the show, Apple is offering something special for intrigued viewers. Audiences can get a month’s subscription to Apple TV+ for free by clicking here, giving them access not only to Cape Fear but all of the streamer’s other content — which gives you a great opportunity to binge some Ted Lasso if the new series keeps you up at night.
New episodes of Cape Fear premiere on Apple TV+ every Friday through July 31.
