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Warning: Spoilers ahead for Episode 3 of Apple TV+ "Cape Fear," now streaming.Juliette Lewis is back in "Cape Fear," 35 years after the 1991 movie.Lewis, 53, who earned an Oscar nomination for her sensational breakout portrayal of Danielle Bowden in the Martin Scorsese-directed 1991 "Cape Fear," is revealed in a surprise cameo at the end of the June 13 Episode 3 of the Apple TV+ revival series.In the new series, Lewis plays a mysterious stranger who has been harassing Max Cady (Javier Bardem), the story's presumed villain.It's a full-circle moment for Lewis, who was 18 when she made "Cape Fear," a portrayal that shot the young actress to stardom. Lewis' Danielle Bowden, in the 1991 movie, was harassed and groomed by ex-convict Max Cady (Robert De Niro) as part of Cady's terror campaign against his former lawyer, Sam Bowden (Nick Nolte).In the film, Cady also poisons the family dog, Benjamin. The entire family survived their ordeal against Cady, who drowned. Justice for Benjamin.Who is Juliette Lewis' new character in 'Cape Fear'?Lewis' mysterious "Cape Fear" character has been appearing in the Apple TV+ series, cloaked in a rain jacket and mask (and cowboy boots for some reason). In Episode 3, Cady watches a videotape that clearly reveals Lewis as the taunting, menacing character."Hey Max, I heard you got out," the character says in the recording, before going into a song. "What do they know about love?"While watching the woman sing, Cady discovers a dog collar left by the character. The woman onscreen works the dog collar into her haunting song. It's so upsetting that Cady smashes the TV.Is the Apple TV+ character an older Danielle Bowden seeking revenge for her dead dog from 1991's "Cape Fear"? Creator and showrunner Nick Antosca tells USA TODAY that Lewis' TV character is not Danielle Bowden and the identity has nothing to do with the past movie."Juliet is playing an entirely new character in this version," said Antosca. "At some point early on making this, we asked, 'What if Max Cady had his own stalker?'"Returning cameos are part of the "Cape Fear" movie legacy based on the 1957 novel "The Executioners" by John D. MacDonald. The 1962 film version featured the immortal lineup of Gregory Peck playing lawyer Sam Bowden and Robert Mitchum as ex-con Max Cady. Both Hollywood legends appeared in the 1991 version in vastly different roles.Mitchum played police Lieutenant Elgart, who advises Nolte's character about Cady. Peck, in his final movie role, appeared as Lee Heller, Cady's slimy defense attorney.Lewis guest-starred in the 2019 Hulu true-crime drama "The Act," which Antosca co-created and co-showran."I was just starting to adapt Cape Fear when I was on the set with Juliette, and I thought she was amazing," says Antosca. "It took years to get this show together. But I always knew I wanted Juliette Lewis to be a part of it."Nolte and Jessica Lange, who played his 1991 screen wife Leigh Bowden, have not appeared in the TV series.
