Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg Aim to Turn CAPE FEAR Into a Television Series

Hit Cape Fear Movie from 1991 Set to Become a TV Series

Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are in the process of developing the story of Scorsese’s hit 1991 movie, Cape Fear, into a TV series.

An adaptation of John D. MacDonald’s suspenseful novel, Cape Fear, was filmed previously under two separate circumstances. More notably, the version with Scorsese behind the camera back in 1991 was a surprise box-office hit. Now, in an exciting turn of events, Spielberg and Scorsese are going to turn the well-received tale of terror into something of a television series. This show is going to be a testament to the American obsession with true crime and will revolve around a married pair of lawyers. Robert De Niro, Nick Nolte, Juliette Lewis and Jessica Lange starred in Scorsese’ film version of the material while the older version from 1962 is noteworthy for featuring two great actors, Gregory Peck and Robert Mitchum.

Spielberg and Scorsese would serve as executive producers of the show if and when it actually comes into fruition. There is a potential bidding match which is expected to occur for this material. This project would focus on a modern day spin of the story featured in the movies where a convict got out of jail and terrorized a married couple. In Scorsese’s film, the convict goes after a lawyer (Nolte)’s daughter, and that young female part was played with absolute brilliance by Juliette Lewis who went on to receive an Oscar nod for Best Supporting Actress in the picture, alongside De Niro’s nomination for Best Actor. De Niro was nothing short of bone-chilling in the part.

The idea of a crazed man stalking a family played out like gangbusters in 1991, just a few years after the similarly themed sensation, Fatal Attraction from 1987. The 1991 Scorsese version of Cape Fear was spoofed on both “The Simpsons” and “Seinfeld.” Scorsese’s picture genuinely scared audiences and made big box-office returns as a result with $79 million domestically and over $100 million more overseas. It earned a solid “B+” CinemaScore grade when it was released.

The Universal pedigree of 1991’s smash hit film has Peacock as the potential streaming channel of choice for the upcoming project though Scorsese’s association with Apple TV could help land the series over there. Showrunner Nick Antosca also has ties with both Netflix and Hulu. So, it all depends on how strong the project is and who is willing to pay more to secure the rights to the scary material. In the meantime, check out the Scorsese classic film to get an idea of what to expect when the project makes its way to the smaller screen in a series format.

Leave your thoughts on Cape Fear‘s potential as a TV series executive produced by Scorsese and Spielberg below in the comments section. Readers seeking to support this type of content can visit our Patreon Page and become one of FilmBook’s patrons. Readers seeking more movie news can visit our Movie News Page, our Movie News Twitter Page, and our Movie News Facebook Page. Want up-to-the-minute notifications? FilmBook staff members publish articles by Email, Feedly, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, Reddit, Telegram, Mastodon, and Flipboard. This news was brought to our attention by MovieWeb.