Amy Adams, the beloved star of films like Arrival and Catch Me If You Can, has joined the cast of the Apple TV+ series Cape Fear. Alongside Javier Bardem, Adams is headlining the series, which offers a new take on Martin Scorsese's divisive '90s thriller starring Robert De Niro. According to Variety, Adams will star alongside Bardem in the TV version of the 1991 thriller, which starred Nick Nolte, Robert De Niro, Jessica Lange, and Juliette Lewis.
Based on the John D. MacDonald novel The Executioners, published in 1961, the story follows attorney Tom Bowden, who withholds evidence to get violent psychopath Max Cady sent to prison. When Cady gets out, he sets his sites on Tom and his wife, fellow attorney Anna, and their teen daughter. Adams will play Anna, with Bardem taking the role of Max Cady. Here's the official logline for the new series: 'A storm is coming for happily married attorneys Anna (Adams) and Tom Bowden when Max Cady (Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.' The Apple TV+ series Cape Fear is executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese. Spielberg is producing via Amblin Television with Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey. Nick Antosca, the writer behind acclaimed series The Act, Brand New Cherry Flavor, and Channel Zero serves as writer and showrunner for Cape Fear.
Cape Fear marks Adams' first major TV project since she gave life to Camille Preaker in the HBO thriller miniseries Sharp Objects, based on the novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn. The 2018 miniseries was critically acclaimed, with many saying it featured one of the best performances from the actor, who has been nominated a total of six times for an Academy Award.
The Cape Fear series currently being planned by Apple TV+ is the third adaptation of Cape Fear, and the first in the television format. The original, a film from 1962 directed by J. Lee Thompson and starring Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum, was based on the novel The Executioners by John D. MacDonald. Scorsese decided to give it another shot, taking the project back from Spielberg, who had originally been set to make the movie but traded it for Schindler’s List.
1991's Cape Fear demonstrates Scorsese's superb execution of thriller tropes. The director truly pushed his limits and made a film, as Max Cady, played by Robert De Niro, is portrayed as a cold-blooded maniac. The film has been known to make key changes from the novel and the previous adaptations, removing the moral dilemmas to showcase Cady's merciless nature.
Adapting Cape Fear for modern audiences poses new challenges, especially when considering Apple TV+'s relatively subdued approach to violence and edgy content. Will Bardem, now stepping back onto this iconic role, be able to top what De Niro did? Fans and series enthusiasts will have to wait and see.
Adams is recognized not only for her cinematic performances but has also starred in films like Enchanted, American Hustle, and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Most recently, she appeared in Hulu’s Nightbitch, and the accomplished actor has been nominated for six Academy Awards throughout her career and has won two Golden Globe Awards for her roles.
Legendary filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg add significant weight to the production as executive producers. Spielberg served as producer on Scorsese’s original Cape Fear film and is producing via Amblin Television alongside Daryl Frank and Justin Falvey. UCP will produce the series under Antosca's Eat the Cat banner.
No additional casting announcements have emerged for Cape Fear at this time, and the project is currently listed on IMDb as being in pre-production. The release date for the series has not yet been announced, but anticipation is already building for this unique revisit to the classic tale.