“It’s an Expanded World”: Patrick Wilson Can’t Wait for You to See His ‘Cape Fear’ TV Series [Exclusive]

It’s tough to stick the landing on a remake or reboot, which is why we largely stick to the “if it ain’t broke, don’t try to fix it” school of thought. But, after hearing what Patrick Wilson had to share with Collider’s Taylor Gates, we’re on the edge of our seats with anticipation about the approaching Cape Fear TV adaptation. While sitting down to chat about The Conjuring and Jay Kelly star’s career, the pair broached the topic of the upcoming Apple TV series from Channel Zero and A Friend of the Family creator, Nick Antosca — and it sounds like the project will totally deliver on every level imaginable.

For starters, Wilson says that the 10-episode season gives the creative team plenty of space to expand on the subject matter, which was first brought to the public by way of John D. MacDonald’s gripping 1957 novel, The Executioners. From there, the book received an on-screen adaptation courtesy of filmmaker J. Lee Thompson and leading men Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum in 1962 only to be followed more than three decades later by the Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte-led Martin Scorsese remake of the same name. “The Scorsese movie really expanded from the Robert Mitchum-Gregory Peck film, right? Because we’re now into 10 episodes, there’s stuff from the book, The Executioners,” Wilson said, laying out how the new project will stand on its own legs while also using plenty of what was built in the past.

“Cinematically, we’re leaning on a lot of Scorsese type stuff, real nods to the film to that film, but it’s an expanded world. That’s what’s so great about that, not to sound like an executive, but the IP is that it comes from a book, then a movie, and then, 30 years later, another movie, and now, 30 years later, a TV show. New characters, new storylines.”

In the case of the tale’s primary characters, Javier Bardem will step into the role of Max Cady, which was previously held by Mitchum and De Niro in their respective productions. The psychological thriller centers around Max’s quest for vengeance after he’s released from prison and discovers that his lawyer may have potentially been able to lessen his sentence. The lawyer in question, Tim Bowden, was played by Peck in Thompson’s film and Nolte in the Scorsese adaptation. Now, it’s Wilson’s turn to take a swing at the attorney, with Amy Adams as his wife, Anna Bowden.

“Javier is a much different actor from Mr. De Niro,” Wilson said, “so how he’s imbued Max Cady, what that brings to that backstory, what we’ve done with Amy’s character — she’s Anna Bowden in our show, I’m Tom Bowden. It’s expanded the world.” Considering the chillingly villainous performance that earned Bardem an Academy Award for his role in Joel and Ethan Coen’s No Country for Old Men, it seems like he’ll be right at home playing the tortured Max Cady in Cape Fear.

Martin Scorsese’s ‘Cape Fear’ Left a Mark on Patrick Wilson

Whether you’ve just seen a handful or caught them all in the cinema, everyone has a favorite Scorsese flick. And, while Wilson didn’t say that Cape Fear was his number one from the legendary filmmaker, it certainly left an impression on him as he told Gates,

“If you’re a fan of the Scorsese film, not that you need to see any of that, but I would encourage everybody to watch it, because he swung a massive stick then that I didn’t really realize. I really didn’t, because I didn’t understand filmmaking then. His first negatives and snap-zooms and using his diopter. I think it was the first time I ever saw somebody using a diopter with a split-focus, where Nick Nolte’s brushing his teeth — that kind of stuff. Again, going back to one of our first things, growing up in Florida, I didn’t see a lot of art house movies, so for me I was like, “They’re both in focus! How does that happen?” [Laughs]”

And, even though it might seem like a difficult or unnecessary undertaking to explore a world that’s already been adapted for the screen twice, Wilson says that Cape Fear will live up to expectations.

“I think people will be pleasantly surprised. I was surprised, but I think they’ll be really, really interested. We all dug in and I think brought our A-game. There are some fantastic directors, and Nick Antosca is a great showrunner and writer, and we’re excited.”

Stay tuned to Collider for more about the latest Cape Fear adaptation.