Showrunner Nick Antosca says that the two executive producers’ contributions were “tremendously meaningful”: “They gave notes, they watched the cuts, they read scripts.”

How Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg shaped the new Cape Fear series

Showrunner Nick Antosca says that the two executive producers' contributions were "tremendously meaningful": "They gave notes, they watched the cuts, they read scripts."

By Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel

Wesley Stenzel is a news writer at **. He began writing for EW in 2022.

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June 5, 2026 10:00 a.m. ET

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Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg; Amy Adams in 'Cape Fear'. Credit:

Eric Charbonneau/Getty; Courtesy of Apple

- Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg executive produced Apple TV's *Cape Fear* after collaborating on the 1991 film of the same name.

- Showrunner Nick Antosca details their contributions to the series.

- Stars Amy Adams and Javier Bardem recall being intimidated by the filmmakers during an early table read.

If you tuned into the premiere episodes of *Cape Fear* on Apple TV, you probably noticed two very conspicuous executive producer credits: Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg.

The two legendary filmmakers, who are longtime friends, are on board the project thanks to their previous involvement in 1991's *Cape Fear*, which was produced by Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment and directed by Scorsese after it was initially developed by the *Jaws* director.

Though executive producer credits are sometimes merely honorific or contractual obligations, *Cape Fear* showrunner Nick Antosca tells ** that both Scorsese and Spielberg gave substantial creative input into the series.

"They were active producers," the showrunner says. "They gave notes, they watched the cuts, they read scripts. For somebody who grew up loving their films, and of course loving Scorsese's *Cape Fear*, that was tremendously meaningful and it's pretty surreal to see their names on the show."

Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 13, 2012.

Frazer Harrison/Getty

Javier Bardem, who portrays Max Cady on the series, recalls Scorsese and Spielberg both having an ominous digital presence during an early production meeting.

"The first table read, it was a lot of the cast. There were 20 or 25 actors at a huge table, and then the producers, the heads of every department," he recalls. "And then on two big screens, TV screens, Marty Scorsese and Steven Spielberg. It was the most terrifying table read I have ever read. I can't believe I'm reading Max Cady in front of Martin Scorsese! He's going to fire me in a second!"

Amy Adams, who plays Anna Bowden on the show, was similarly intimidated by that first table read, which marked her first-ever interaction with Scorsese. "We haven't really said the words out loud," she recalls. "We haven't really dived into this at all, and we're sitting there, and suddenly this TV comes in and it's a big TV with Martin Scorsese on it."

Amy Adams in 'Cape Fear'.

The *Enchanted* actress wasn't expecting to see the filmmaker. "The expletives that went through my head, I was so nervous," she remembers. "I think I was sweating, and I'm sure I overacted, but I wanted them to know I was committed. I'm still such a people pleaser, especially with people I respect and have such a long history of admiration for. I can't help it, I'm like, 'Oh gosh, please be okay with me.' I maybe should have grown out of that, but I don't think I ever will."

She continues, "It was terrifying, but wonderful that he invested that time. But I was really trying to be cool. I'm like, 'You got this!'"

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Antosca explains how the *Goodfellas* filmmaker contributed to the show. "It was an extraordinary thing to be able to be editing the show and get on FaceTime with Martin Scorsese," he says. "And he's giving advice and notes and saying, 'Well, what if you put this scene before this scene? It might create a different kind of suspense or just roll this cut a little bit.'"

The showrunner also says that Scorsese acted as a shield from studio notes. "And he would protect us from the notes process sometimes, which can be very complicated," he says. "And his notes are tremendously generous. It's never a mandate. It's, 'Well, you might try this.' He really speaks to you like an artist. And I mean, I just feel very lucky that we got to have his involvement on the remake of his own movie."

Martin Scorsese on the set of 'Cape Fear' (1991).

Phillip Caruso/Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

Antosca says that Scorsese's advice was particularly impactful while the team edited the opening scene of episode 2, which shows Max struggle through a grisly prison fight as he pulverizes multiple aggressive inmates with weights and workout equipment.

"He gave advice on how to cut the scene where Max smashes the guy's head with the weight," the showrunner remembers. "He was referring to his experience of crushing the guy's head in *Casino* when he was talking about different cutting styles. It's very cool."

Martin Scorsese in 2025.

TheStewartofNY/FilmMagic

Meanwhile, Spielberg emphasized one key element linking all three *Cape Fear*s: the soundtrack, as Scorsese's film and Antosca's series both reuse elements of Bernard Hermann's score for J. Lee Thompson's 1962 version of *Cape Fear*.

"We always wanted to use the Bernard Hermann theme, and that was also really important to Spielberg, too," Antosca says. "From early on, he was like, 'The music should be a character in the show the way it is in the movie.'"

Adams was both excited and anxious to reunite with Spielberg, who gave her one of her biggest early breaks with a key supporting role in 2002's *Catch Me If You Can*. "The idea of Steven and Martin Scorsese watching dailies, that loomed in my head," she says. "I was like, 'Oh gosh, when I mess up, or when I don't get it right, Steven's going to see.' He gave me such a great opportunity so early in my career. I didn't want to disappoint him."

Amy Adams and Steven Spielberg in 2003.

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

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The *Arrival* actress keeps in touch "a little bit" with the *Disclosure Day* filmmaker. "I've wanted to get together. I'm kind of weirdly shy about reaching out to people," she reflects. "I just love him. I love his work. I can't wait to see his new movie. I love *Fabelmans*."

Adams is overwhelmed by her affection for Spielberg. "I'm constantly telling him how much I love his movies when I see him, but I don't want to fawn too much, but I would," she says. "Because he's very special to me, and has acted as a father figure in my film journey, which was really wonderful, and gave me a lot of confidence at a time where I was really just brand new to working at that level."

She adds, "His belief in me and the way he taught me to work, and the way he dives into character — that was something that I've kept with me for years."

The first two episodes of *Cape Fear* are now streaming on Apple TV.

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