Nick Antosca is developing a new series based on Cape Fear, a 1957 John D. MacDonald novel which has previously been adapted into two different feature films — once in 1962, and again in 1991. The 1991 version was directed by Martin Scorsese, who will serve as an executive producer on the series. It will team Scorsese with another of Hollywood’s most celebrated filmmakers, Steven Spielberg,whose Amblin Television is underwriting the project along with Universal Cable Productions. Antosca is best known for his acclaimed series The Act and Brand New Cherry Flavor.
The new series is an “unconventional take” on the property, which started with the novel The Executioners. That makes it a story that has gotten less and less traditional as it went on, with a fairly straightforward ’60s movie starring Gregory Peck, Robert Mitchum and Polly Bergen, followed by a dark and moody version from Scorsese that featured Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, and Jessica Lange.
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The new series will apparently examine “America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century. In it, a storm is coming for a pair of married attorneys when an infamous killer from their past gets released after years in prison.”
Scorsese and Spielberg will executive produce the series alongside Antosca and Alex Hedlund via Eat The Cat, the company Antosca launched four years ago, and Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey via Amblin Television.
There is no official home for the project yet, with a competitive bidding war expected. According to Deadline, who broke the news, potential buyers include Peacock, Apple TV+ (where Scorsese has a first-look TV deal), Hulu, Netflix, and HBO.
