The Waterfront: Everything you need to know About Kevin Williamson’s Coastal Family Drama

A storm is brewing in Havenport—and Netflix just dropped the first official trailer for The Waterfront, sending waves of excitement through fans of gripping family sagas. With sweeping shots of Carolina coastlines and simmering tensions under the surface, the trailer gives a moody glimpse into the powerful Buckley family’s unraveling world. 

Teasing dark secrets, legacy battles, and emotional showdowns, this sneak peek has viewers drawing immediate comparisons to Succession and Ozark. Kevin Williamson’s signature storytelling flair is unmistakably woven into every second.

Backed by a powerhouse cast and crafted by the mind behind Scream and Dawson’s Creek, The Waterfront isn't just another drama—it's a Southern gothic epic waiting to erupt. The eerie calm of Havenport’s coast hides a tide of betrayal, ambition, and legacy warfare ready to crash ashore. With the Buckleys poised to lose everything, the stakes are personal—and dangerously high.

Craving high-stakes drama, power struggles, and secrets that refuse to stay buried? We’ve gathered everything you need to uncover—from the cast lineup to the show’s unique setting and production details. And stay tuned—we’re updating this guide with every fresh drop of news, so you won’t miss a single twist. 

Release date & Where to Watch

All eight episodes of The Waterfront will premiere globally on Netflix on Thursday, June 19, 2025.

What is the plot of The Waterfront?

The Waterfront is a tense, character-driven drama set in the coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina, where the Buckley family has long reigned over the local fishing and restaurant industries. But their dynasty is beginning to sink. 

After suffering two heart attacks, patriarch Harlan Buckley is forced to step back, leaving the family business in the hands of his wife Belle and son Cane. As they scramble to keep the empire afloat, their decisions grow more reckless — pushing them into increasingly dangerous territory.

Meanwhile, Harlan’s daughter Bree is battling her own demons. In recovery from addiction and having lost custody of her son, Bree is trying to rebuild her life. But when she enters a risky and emotionally fraught relationship, it threatens not only her sobriety but the fragile future of the Buckley legacy.

As pressure mounts, Harlan makes a comeback to regain control, but the situation has already veered into treacherous waters. With the family business strapped for cash and just three months to come up with $2 million, Harlan agrees to smuggle $10 million worth of cocaine and opiates through their fishing fleet — putting them directly in the crosshairs of the DEA and a dangerous drug lord played by Topher Grace.

Inspired by true events, The Waterfront explores the moral compromises people make when faced with impossible choices. “It’s about a bunch of people who make mistakes, they do some bad things, and then they get in deeper and deeper and deeper,” creator Kevin Williamson told Tudum. 

“When you have all these people doing bad things, it’s always nice when they do that one good thing that can bring hope back,” Williamson added.

Williamson drew from his own past when creating the series, citing his father’s experience as a fisherman who, in the economic downturn of the 1980s, was drawn into drug running to support his family. “My dad — a very, very good man — got tempted to do some things that weren’t so legal and got in some trouble. [But] it put food on the table, helped me go to college,” Williamson revealed. 

He even referenced this history in Dawson’s Creek: “In the very first episode, Joey Potter says, ‘My dad’s in prison for conspiracy to traffic marijuana in excess of 20,000 pounds.’ That was exactly my dad’s charge — that’s why he went to prison.”

Set against the stormy backdrop of a coastal empire on the brink of collapse, The Waterfront is both a suspense-filled thriller and a deeply emotional family drama. “They’ll do anything to hold onto it, because it represents their family,” says Williamson. “They also care about the town, and so many people depend on them. So they turn to some dark means to keep afloat,” Williamson added.

Who’s Starring in The Waterfront?

• Holt McCallany (The Lincoln Lawyer) as Harlan Buckley: A gruff patriarch with a morally murky past, Harlan helped build the Buckley fishery empire during the boom of the 1980s, not always by legal means. Despite surviving two heart attacks, he clings to his old vices and stubborn pride. Though he’s stepped away from the business, his family's reckless choices pull him back in, forcing him to confront both his legacy and his limits.
• Maria Bello (Beef, Goliath) as Belle Buckley: Belle is the razor-sharp matriarch holding the fishery together with ambition and questionable ethics. Fiercely protective and fiercely flawed, she’s driven to save the family’s name at all costs — even if it means breaking the rules to do it.
• Jake Weary (Pretty Little Liars, Chicago Fire) as Cane Buckley: Cane is the conflicted heir trying to live up to Harlan’s towering shadow. Trapped between loyalty and resentment, he clings to the power and privilege the Buckley name brings, even as he questions the life it’s given him. He’s a devoted husband and father, but not always a smart decision-maker.
• Melissa Benoist (Blue Bloods, Supergirl) as Bree Buckley: Bree is the brilliant but self-destructive daughter with a fiery temper and a fragile sobriety. Once the family’s financial brain, her battle with addiction cost her custody of her son, and she now walks a tense tightrope between redemption and relapse.
• Rafael L. Silva (9-1-1: Lone Star) as Shawn West: Hired as a bartender for the Buckleys, Shawn appears easygoing but hides a personal secret tied to the family’s dark past—one that could detonate their fragile world.
• Humberly Gonzalez (Star Trek: Section 31) as Jenna Tate: Jenna returns to Havenport to care for her father but finds herself facing emotional ghosts of the past — including Cane Buckley, her former flame. A sharp journalist with unfinished business, she’s torn between exposing the truth and protecting the people she once loved.
• Danielle Campbell (The Originals, Tell Me a Story) as Peyton Buckley: Peyton is polished, poised, and fiercely loyal. As Cane’s wife and the mother of their daughter, she sees the chaos brewing in the Buckley family but holds it together with Southern charm and quiet resilience.
• Brady Hepner (The Black Phone) as Diller Hopkins: Diller is Bree’s estranged teenage son, shaped by bitterness and disappointment. Living with his father and idolizing his grandfather Harlan, he lashes out at Bree as she struggles to earn back his trust.
• Michael Gaston as Sheriff Clyde Porter 
• Gerardo Celasco as DEA Agent Marcus Sanchez
• Topher Grace
• Zach Roerig
• Dave Annable

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Is There a Trailer for The Waterfront?

The newly released trailer for The Waterfront plunges viewers into the high-stakes unraveling of the Buckley family's legacy, set against the picturesque backdrop of coastal North Carolina. Opening with sweeping seaside visuals and the line, “I’m driving up here, and I see the name Buckley everywhere,” the trailer quickly establishes the Buckleys as a powerful and deeply rooted family in the fictional town of Havenport.

But beneath that postcard-perfect surface, trouble brews. The family faces a massive financial crisis—they have less than three months to raise $2 million. In a desperate bid to stay afloat, Harlan Buckley makes a risky proposition: using their fishing business to smuggle drugs, a move that could destroy everything they’ve built. The trailer hints at the danger with rapid flashes of boats under surveillance, cash being stashed, and criminal deals unfolding in shadowy corners.

As the trailer barrels forward with moody shots of dockside confrontations and stormy skies, it promises a gripping blend of family conflict, crime, and coastal noir. Expect shifting loyalties, moral compromises, and a family pushed to the edge—all laid bare in just under two minutes.

Is The Waterfront Based on a true Story?

The Waterfront is inspired by true events, though it isn't a direct retelling of a specific story. A spokesperson for the show told The Hollywood Reporter, “Kevin pulled from his own real-life upbringing in N.C. It is not a 1:1 adaptation, but drew inspiration from.”

Filming Details

The Waterfront was filmed on location in North Carolina between August and December 2024, with production centered around the coastal towns of Wilmington and Southport (via Port City Daily).

Though Havenport is fictional, these scenic areas—frequent backdrops in Kevin Williamson’s past work like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Dawson’s Creek—bring the series to life with their mix of seaside charm and atmospheric docks (via Tudum).

Behind the Scenes

Kevin Williamson is the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of The Waterfront. Joining him behind the scenes is director Marcos Siega, who helms the first two episodes and executive produces the pilot. Ben Fast also executive produces through Williamson’s production company, Outerbanks Entertainment. The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.