The first two episodes of psychological thriller series Cape Fear are out tomorrow on Apple TV, with one weekly release scheduled to continue until July 31.
Produced by renowned filmmakers Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, the show follows ex-convict Max Cady (Javier Bardem), who is released from prison and set to take revenge on married attorneys Tom and Anna Bowden (Patrick Wilson and Amy Adams), who put him behind bars.
The series is based on the 1957 novel The Executioners by John D MacDonald and its film adaptations in 1962 and 1991.
In an interview, Javier explained how his character is going to be portrayed in the show, as opposed to the films.
“We were aiming to create more of a specific backstory around Max Cady where we understand where he’s coming from and what he has lost,” he said.
“We can relate to his pain because otherwise he will be just a figure of disruption. It should be more than that. He should be someone that we are not able to frame, even though we know who he is. He becomes the person that we are expecting him to be but it’s going to come through a personal, emotional journey that we may care for. Hopefully,” he added.
While the production takes inspiration from the nearly 70-year-old novel, it also features all ‘modern-day anxiety sources’ such as AI fakes and social media catfishing, making the story relatable to new audiences.
“For a while in this story, there is uncertainty about the nature of the threat and we kind of go back and forth. That reflects the atmosphere in which we live,” showrunner Nick Antosca, who is a long-time fan of the previous adaptations, explained.
“It’s sort of like, what is true? What can I believe? I may feel threatened but am I justified in feeling that way? In various forms, we find ourselves asking questions like that a lot now.”