The series was created by Nick Antosca (‘A Friend of the Family’) and executive produced by Steven Spielberg (‘Jurassic Park’) and Martin Scorsese (‘Goodfellas’), who directed the 90s adaptation.

‘Cape Fear’ stars Javier Bardem (‘No Country for Old Men’) as Max Cady, as well as Amy Adams (‘American Hustle’), Patrick Wilson (‘Watchmen’), Lily Collias (‘Roofman’), Joe Anders (‘1917’), Jamie Hector (‘Bosch’), and CCH Pounder (‘The Shield’).

Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Lily Collias, Joe Anders, and series creator Nick Antosca about their work on ‘Cape Fear’, adapting the source material to create the series, their characters, working with executive producers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, and collaborating with actors Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson on set.

Related Article: Javier Bardem to Play Max Cady in New ‘Cape Fear’ TV Adaptation at Apple TV+

Apple TV’s ‘Cape Fear’ executive producer Nick Antosca.

Moviefone: To begin with, Nick, can you talk about working with executive producers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, and what were their specific contributions to this series?

Nick Antosca: It’s crazy to get to work with Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. When we first dared to propose doing a new version of ‘Cape Fear’, we went to Universal, we pitched this version with some of the specific changes and contemporary ideas and got their blessing. They have been quite involved ever since then. When we did our first table read, the first time the whole cast was all together, unexpectedly on a big TV at the beginning, Marty popped in and said hi to everybody, and “Go forth and have fun, and much love, and create something new and interesting.” I think that was meaningful to everybody in this whole cast who, in many cases, were seeing him for the first time, and feeling that they had his blessing, and it also just encourages all of us. We want to bring our A game. Then when we were making the show, they read scripts, and they would send thoughts. Marty would get on Zoom and FaceTime with me sometimes, like in the editing room. When we were working on the scene in episode two where Max smashes the guy’s head with something. While I was working on that, Marty got on FaceTime and was giving me suggestions of making this cut here, or rolling that cut, which is one of the cooler things that I’ve ever had when making a show. He would have great ideas and great notes on other stuff too. He is very creatively generous too. It was cool and both were really encouraging from the very beginning. They would say things like, “We’ve got to use the Bernard Herrmann music. It’s got to be a character in the show.” So, we wanted Jeff Russo to take that music and basically do what Elmer Bernstein did in the ’91 version, reorchestrate it, but also, because there’s 10 episodes, there’s a lot of music that organically weaves through the themes and we did some original stuff as well that felt in that spirit.

Joe Anders in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

MF: Joe, what was it like for you to be welcomed to this project by Martin Scorsese at the table read?

Joe Anders: I mean, it was unbelievable. Scorsese and Spielberg are such heroes of mine, and I’m sure Lily’s as well, and everyone that is in this industry, they are just heroes and legends. So, it was unbelievable that they were both working on this project and that Marty popped up on a huge screen at the table read. I had just got into Atlanta the day before and I was terrified. Suddenly, I had to put on my best Savannah accent and in my American family I’m the only English guy there. Then Scorsese pops up on a huge screen in the corner of the room and starts talking to us and giving his welcome to us was very special. But I’m not going to lie, it made me feel terrified. The screen was massive.

Lily Collias in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

MF: Lily, what was your first reaction to the idea of making this series, and did you choose to read the book or watch the two films before you started filming, or did you try to avoid the source material and just take your cues from the script?

Lily Collins: I did. I didn’t choose not to. I wanted to understand the world of ‘Cape Fear’ an adaptation by adaptation. When I got the call that I got the part, I was pacing back and forth and crying and calling my mom and my dad, and I immediately sat down on the couch, and I turned the 1991 version on to just be immediately immersed in that world.

Juliette Lewis in 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

MF: Can you talk about how watching Martin Scorsese’s ‘Cape Fear’ help inform your performance?

LC: I mean, Juliette Lewis specifically, her character really influenced my character. Her secrecy and naivety and the mannerisms she had. It got to a point though where I was like, now this is my own. So, I got the bangs because I felt like they were also a shield in her world. I was very grateful to have those steppingstones to feel comfortable about the direction I was going in.

Javier Bardem in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

MF: Nick, can you talk about casting Javier Bardem, Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson, and what it was like working with them on set?

Nick Antosca: The legacy of casting on ‘Cape Fear’ is incredible. Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum, Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange. So, we wanted to do a show, a new version of ‘Cape Fear’, that has some of my favorite living actors from today. Who is going to follow in the Mitchum / De Niro footsteps, right? Who has that gravity and that magnetism and that menace, and is also going to do something new at the same time, the way De Niro did, something unexpected? So, Javier was always the first choice to play Max Cady. A lot of the stuff that he did comes from his own ideas and our early conversations. When we talked about him walking like a panther, and the details of his tattoo, we came up with that early in conversations, where a lot of his stuff just ended up in the show. Amy Adams and Patrick Wilson, you need the perfect all-American family, and you need people who can present that kind of strength, toughness, confidence, and stability, but also real depth underneath the surface and fragility under that. It’s a very difficult tightrope to walk, and I just feel very lucky that we got these three incredible leads.

(L to R) Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

MF: Joe, can you talk about Zack’s relationship with his parents and working on that with Amy Adams, and Patrick Wilson?

JA: Well, obviously it was such an honor and a privilege to have both of those unbelievable actors that I’ve admired for such a long time play my parents. It was easy, the chemistry of the family to begin with because I think we all just got so lucky with just how kind, wonderful and caring everyone was within the cast, and we all just got along so well. Then developing those individual relationships with Patrick and Amy as my separate parents and figuring out how Zack felt personally about each of them was a complete privilege. Working with Patrick on our very strange and complicated father-son dynamic over the course of the series was a pleasure and he was such an amazing guy to work with. I just learned so much from both Patrick and Amy.

Javier Bardem in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

MF: Finally, Lily, what was it like having Javier Bardem on set playing this iconic character and what did you learn from watching him work?

LC: I learned every single day on set from him. I love his process. English is not his first language, so even the care that he would take in the physicality of writing out things phonetically to make them feel good before working and seeing those pages felt magical because I knew what was about to come off that page was going to be something very special. He always surprised me, and I feel so grateful being able to be a part of scenes with him. I got to watch that evolution with his character and it was so powerful to be a part of.

Amy Adams in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

What is the plot of ‘Cape Fear’?

Max Cady (Javier Bardem), a vicious and unreformed ex-convict, is released from prison and sets about taking revenge on Tom (Patrick Wilson) and Anna Bowden (Amy Adams), the married couple who represented him 17 years earlier in court, by using his knowledge of the law to evade punishment.

Who is in the cast of ‘Cape Fear’?

• Javier Bardem as Max Cady
• Amy Adams as Anna Bowden
• Patrick Wilson as Tom Bowden
• Lily Collias as Natalie Bowden
• Joe Anders as Zack Bowden
• CCH Pounder as Noa Toussaint
• Malia Pyles as Nevaeh Valentine
• Jullian Dulce Vida as Byron French

Javier Bardem in ‘Cape Fear,’ premiering June 5, 2026 on Apple TV.

List of Martin Scorsese Movies and TV Shows:

Buy Martin Scorsese Movies on Amazon