Javier Bardem to Star in ‘Cape Fear’ TV Series at Apple, Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese to Produce

Apple TV+ has given a series order to a series adaptation of “Cape Fear,” with Javier Bardem set for one of the lead roles.

Per the official logline, “A storm is coming for happily married attorneys Amanda and Steve Bowden when Max Cady (Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.”

The series was first reported to be in development in 2023, though no platform nor cast was attached at that time. Apple has ordered 10 episodes. As was reported in 2023, Nick Antosca will serve as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese will also executive produce.

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The series is based on both the John D. MacDonald novel “The Executioners,” which inspired Gregory Peck’s 1962Universal Pictures feature “Cape Fear,” as well as the acclaimed 1991 remake directed by Scorsese and produced by Spielberg, with Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte in the lead roles.

Antosca is executive producing under his Eat the Cat banner along with Alex Hedlund. Bardem will executive produce in addition to starring. Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce for Amblin Television. UCP will produce, with Anthosca currently under an overall deal at the studio. Amblin previously worked with Apple on the World War II series “Masters of the Air” and the episodic anthology “Amazing Stories.” Scorsese’s film “Killers of the Flower Moon” was released by Apple in 2023.

This marks the latest Apple project for Bardem, who is also set to star in the film “F1” for the media arm of the tech giant. That film will premiere in June 2025. Bardem is known for his roles in films like “No Country for Old Men,” for which he won the Academy Award for best supporting actor. He has also been nominated for his work in films like “Before Night Falls,” “Biutiful,” and “Becoming the Ricardos.” He recently starred in the two “Dune” films and played a lead role in Season 2 of “Monsters” at Netflix.

He is repped by WME, ID PR, and Goodman Genow.

Antosca has recently found critical acclaim for his work in the true crime genre, having created scripted shows like the Gypsy Rose Blanchard series “The Act,” the Candy Montgomery series “Candy,” and the Jan Broberg series “A Friend of the Family.”

He is repped by WME and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.