Javier Bardem to Star in ‘Cape Fear’ Series for Apple TV+

Javier Bardem has played his share of iconic movie villains, but he’s about to take on another great one: Max Cady in “Cape Fear.”

Apple TV+ has acquired the rights to a series adaptation of “Cape Fear” from writer and showrunner Nick Antosca (“The Act,” “Candy,” “A Friend of the Family”) and has given it a 10-episode series order. News of the project was first reported in November of last year, almost a year ago to the date, but Bardem is newly coming aboard to star now that it’s landed at Apple.

Martin Scorsese, who directed the 1991 version of “Cape Fear,” and Steven Spielberg, who produced that film, are both executive producing the new series. Bardem is also executive producing in addition to starring.

In “Cape Fear,” 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. This new interpretation is described as a tense, Hitchcockian thriller but also examines America’s obsession with true crime. No other casting has been announced for who will play the Bowdens.

The thriller series is inspired by the novel “The Executioners” from author John D. MacDonald, as well as the 1962 “Cape Fear” with Robert Mitchum as Cady and Gregory Peck and Scorsese’s 1991 remake starring Robert De Niro as Cady.

UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, and Amblin Television, are producing the series. The project was developed and produced under Antosca’s overall deal at UCP that he’s had since 2017.

Creator Antosca is also executive producing alongside Alex Hedlund for their banner Eat The Cat, and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce alongside Spielberg for Amblin Television.

Bardem is teaming with Apple Original Films on “F1,” the Formula One racing film starring Brad Pitt that’s hitting theaters June 25, 2025. The Oscar-winner for “No Country For Old Men” currently stars in “Monsters: The Erik and Lyle Menéndez Story” as José Menéndez, and he also appeared this year in “Dune Part Two.” He also lent his voice to the upcoming animated musical film “Spellbound”

Bardem is represented by WME, ID PR, and Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher. Antosca is represented by WME and Ginsburg Daniels Kallis.