Where was ‘The Waterfront' filmed? Behind the scenes on Netflix's new crime drama
Netflix's The Waterfront mixes Ozark with Succession – and it all unfolds by the water in North Carolina.
The show is the handiwork of Scream creator Kevin Williamson and boasts of an intriguing cast, including chiselled character actor Holt McCallany, Mario Bello, and actor-singer Melissa Benoist. The dynastic drama, which should also appeal to fans of Netflix's Florida Keys thriller Bloodline (2015-2017), is set in the coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina. Here's where you can find its seaside setting in real life.
What happens in The Waterfront?
After suffering not just one, but two heart attacks, Harlan Buckley (Black Bag 's Holt McCallany) is struggling to keep his family afloat as the controlling destiny in the fictional coastal town of Havenport, North Carolina. For decades, the Buckley family have controlled the local fishing industry and the town's picturesque restaurant scene.
Following Harlan's brushes with death, it's up to his long-suffering wife Belle (A History of Violence 's Maria Bello) and their son Cane (Jake Weary) to make sure that the Buckley family maintains its dominance and reputation. Unfortunately for Harlan, that approach soon gets the family into even more trouble. Despite his ill-health, Harlan is forced to take back control – all while trying to keep an eye on his daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist), who lost custody of her son after her issues with addiction.
With stunning locations and idyllic views, as well as murder, sex, romance, betrayal, and plenty of melodrama, The Waterfront is the sort of Netflix show you begin on Friday, only to have somehow watched it all by Saturday afternoon. Here's everything you need to know about its locations, cast, and how to watch it.
Where was The Waterfront filmed?
There is some bad news for fans of The Waterfront who are eager to visit the city of Havenport – it doesn't actually exist. Instead, The Waterfront was shot in the cities of Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina.
Wilmington, North Carolina
According to Port City Daily, when production took place in Wilmington, the cast and crew shot at the Suites On Market motel, the Cotton Exchange shopping complex by the Riverfront, on North Front Street in the Historic district, round the corner at the private Cape Fear Club, and at the Little Drum Landing event venue on Ann Street.
Southport, North Carolina
Meanwhile over in Southport, the city's officials took to Instagram to reveal that filming occurred in various restaurants, including Fishy Fishy Cafe, Morningstar Marina, and Potter's Seafood, each of which are bound to explode in popularity once The Waterfront hits Netflix.
Kevin Williamson, The Waterfront's creator and showrunner who also wrote Scream, The Faculty, Dawson's Creek, and The Vampire Diaries, has made a habit out of shooting in his home state. Williamson was born in New Bern, North Carolina, and attended East Carolina University in nearby Greenville.
I Know What You Did Last Summer, which Williamson wrote, was also shot in Southport back in 1996, while his beloved teen drama Dawson's Creek filmed in and around Wilmington for its six seasons between 1998 and 2003.
Williamson has also teased that The Waterfront needed to be both set in and shot in North Carolina, because it was inspired by true events. While he's yet to provide concrete details on who influenced the Buckley family, his father Wade Williamson worked as a fisherman in North Carolina. Williamson even admitted to the Netflix website that his dad was a drug runner during this time.
'I come from a long line of fishermen,' explains Williamson. 'The fishing industry sort of upturned in the '80s – it all started to go away, and my dad couldn't feed his family. So someone came along and said, 'Hey, if you do this one thing, you can make all this money.' And it was hard to say no to… 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.'
Who is in The Waterfront?
The Waterfront looks destined to attract a cavalcade of viewers thanks to its all-star cast, too. In recent years, Holt McCallany has become one of most underrated actors in America, thanks to his work in Mindhunter and The Iron Claw. The leading role of Harlan gives McCallany plenty to dig into and he clearly relishes playing a despicable but still captivating patriarch.
Maria Bello is the perfect foil for McCallany as his wife Mae. Audiences will recognise her from the likes of A History Of Violence, Grown Ups, Prisoners, and Beef, and she always makes everything she appears in better merely with her presence. Mae's decision to put her family first leads her to make some very bad decisions, but Bello ensures that you always still relate to her efforts.
The other most recognisable performer in The Waterfront is Melissa Benoit, who shot to fame with the titular role in Supergirl, which ran for six seasons. She also appeared in the Oscar winning Whiplash, the Paramount miniseries Waco, and the action thriller Patriots Day. But the character Bree is much more hot-tempered and cunning than we've seen her before.
That '70s Show star Topher Grace plays against type as drug smuggler Grady. While he comes from a rich family of lawyers and doctors, Grady made some poor decisions in the tech world that landed him in jail. After being released from prison, he started a poppy farm which ultimately leads to him butting heads with the Buckley family.
The Waterfront's cast is rounded out by Jake Weary as Harlan's only son Cane, Humberly González as Cane's high school sweetheart Jenna, who has just returned to town and causes Cane to reconsider his relationship with his devoted wife Peyton, played by Danielle Campbell. There's also Gerardo Celasco as DEA Agent Marcus Sanchez, who keeps a watchful eye on the criminal exploits of the Buckley family.
How can I watch The Waterfront and when does it come out?
All eight episodes of The Waterfront will be available to watch on Netflix on June 19.
Is there a trailer for The Waterfront?
Yes, there is – in fact, you can watch it below.
The best TV and streaming shows of 2025 (so far).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
‘World's hottest scientist' signs up for new Netflix shark reality show with incredible £37k prize
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN once branded the world's hottest scientist has signed up to a new Netflix reality show all about sharks. Biologist Rosie Moore, who boasts hundreds of thousands of followers online thanks to her stunning looks, has confirmed she will be a contestant on Netflix's All The Sharks, set to launch next month. Sign up for the Entertainment newsletter Sign up 4 The 'world's hottest scientist' has signed up for a new Netflix reality show Credit: Instagram 4 Rosie Moore will be appearing on All The Sharks next month Credit: Instagram 4 The reality show sees the group swimming with sharks and hoping to get the best photo possible Credit: Netflix The online star spoke out to fans to address why she went "MIA" online last summer and confirmed it was because she had jetted off to film the brave new show. Taking to Instagram to confirm her participation, the scientist wrote alongside a trailer for the series: "I can finally announce why I went MIA last summer! "Watch for All the Sharks, airing July 4th on @netflix." Florida-based Rosie is known for being an animal lover and litters her Instagram with snaps of her interacting with all sorts of creatures, including crocodiles and snakes. The star is always camera-ready and never shies away from the chance to have a perfectly preened photograph taken. Now, fans will get the chance to see her up close and personal with sharks in All The Sharks. In the programme, four shark lovers, including Rosie, head across the seas with a team of experts to find different variations of the deadly sea creatures. As part of their challenge, the participants are tasked with snapping the best pictures of the sharks that they can. Whoever manages to get the most impressive photo stands to win a cool $50,000 - equivalent to £37,000. But putting themselves so close to sharks does not come without its risks. Shark attack reported at popular US beach as victim rushed to hospital just weeks after 1,600lb beast spotted in state In the show's trailer, the group can be seen surrounded by many sharks as one of them shouts out: "The sharknado. Holy sharks!" Rosie can later be heard talking about the "cutest shark attack ever" - clearly showing she is just as brave as she is beautiful. Reacting with joy to Rosie's casting in the show, one fan said: "Now this is absolutely a reality show I can get behind." Another added: "Rosie!!! This is sick! Congrats." As a third penned: "Cannot wait!!! So happy for you!"
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
‘World's hottest scientist' signs up for new Netflix shark reality show with incredible £37k prize
A WOMAN once branded the world's hottest scientist has signed up to a new Netflix reality show all about sharks. Biologist Rosie Moore, who boasts hundreds of thousands of followers online thanks to her stunning looks, has confirmed she will be a contestant on Netflix 's All The Sharks, set to launch next month. 4 4 The online star spoke out to fans to address why she went "MIA" online last summer and confirmed it was because she had jetted off to film the brave new show. Taking to Instagram to confirm her participation, the scientist wrote alongside a trailer for the series: "I can finally announce why I went MIA last summer! "Watch for All the Sharks, airing July 4th on @netflix." Florida-based Rosie is known for being an animal lover and litters her Instagram with snaps of her interacting with all sorts of creatures, including crocodiles and snakes. The star is always camera-ready and never shies away from the chance to have a perfectly preened photograph taken. Now, fans will get the chance to see her up close and personal with sharks in All The Sharks. In the programme, four shark lovers, including Rosie, head across the seas with a team of experts to find different variations of the deadly sea creatures. As part of their challenge, the participants are tasked with snapping the best pictures of the sharks that they can. Whoever manages to get the most impressive photo stands to win a cool $50,000 - equivalent to £37,000. But putting themselves so close to sharks does not come without its risks. Shark attack reported at popular US beach as victim rushed to hospital just weeks after 1,600lb beast spotted in state In the show's trailer, the group can be seen surrounded by many sharks as one of them shouts out: "The sharknado. Holy sharks!" Rosie can later be heard talking about the "cutest shark attack ever" - clearly showing she is just as brave as she is beautiful. Reacting with joy to Rosie's casting in the show, one fan said: "Now this is absolutely a reality show I can get behind." Another added: "Rosie!!! This is sick! Congrats." As a third penned: "Cannot wait!!! So happy for you!"
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders stars break silence after Bahamas drama and Chandi's shock 'rule break' in season two - as it's revealed dancers will get a '400 per cent raise'
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have broken their silence after season two wrapped up with shock scenes showing Chandi Dayle's 'rule break'. Series two of Netflix 's hit reality TV series America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders hit screens this week, after its debut run won over legions of fans. However, things were not always plain-sailing for the cheerleaders during their 2024 season and tensions rose during a group trip to the Bahamas. Though it was meant to be a team-building opportunity, scenes showed six-year veteran and group leader Chandi step back from the squad following the trip. It emerged that she had violated a major team rule and had invited someone to their hotel, despite their policy stating they aren't allowed to disclose their whereabouts while abroad due to safety. Following the tense scenes, some of the dancers broke their silence after the 'unfortunate' on-screen fallout, revealing where they currently stand with Chandi now. 'I think we did our best as a team to handle it professionally while still being supportive of her,' fellow group leader Jada McLean told PEOPLE. She insisted that they remain 'sisters' despite the tension and are still on good terms with Chandi - who retired after returning for the last dance of the season. 'We're not going to turn our back on her,' newly-retired Jada insisted, adding that they don't let anything divide them as a team. Meanwhile, team director Kelli Finglass told Bustle: 'She's a sweet soul, and of course, we will stay in touch with her.' Chandi started struggling with her mental health at the end of the series due to the pressures of leading as well as a break-up with her long-term boyfriend, Ryan. Earlier in the series, she also opened up about how she was allegedly stalked by another ex-boyfriend, which put strain on her everyday life and relationship with Ryan. After the difficult time, Chandi met someone during the team Bahamas trip who had been through similar things as her and she invited them to the hotel to confide in them about her struggles. She insisted nothing romantic happened between them after rumours began to swirl, but she broke a team rule by bringing the stranger to their hotel, causing tension in the group. 'It was the first time I feel like I mental dumped everything, and everything that was happening, and everything I've gone through, and everything that was making me feel and think certain things,' Chandi shared on the show. 'It helped me in the moment. And I get it, it was probably the wrong place and time to do that. But selfishly, I had to do it for me. Because I feel like I was just, I was losing it.' After taking some time away for her mental health, with tensions obvious amongst the dancers, Chandi returned for the last dance of the season without the pressures of leading. However, the situation led to a further fallout as team member KayDianna MacKenzie left the squad after being suspended for taking about the situation on a TikTok Live. Kelli insisted it was KayDianna's decision to leave the squad and she didn't return for the end of season celebrations, sharing her upset to camera about her exit. Season two also followed the cheerleaders as they attempted to get a pay rise following the success of the first Netflix series. Jada, Amanda Howard, Megan McElaney and Armani Latimer were among those who spoke to lawyers and spearheaded a campaign for the cheerleaders to be paid more. After the release of series one last year, their low salaries stirred controversy and left viewers shocked, with season two following their attempts to get a pay rise. After initially being rejected, the dancers revealed at the end of the series that they had finally secured a massive 400 per cent pay increase. 'Our efforts were heard and they wanted to give us a raise,' four-year veteran Megan said on the show. 'And we ended up getting a 400 percent increase, which is like, life-changing.' The cheerleaders have been pushing for pay increases for years with the latest coming in 2019, when the Cowboys settled a lawsuit with a former cheerleader. The franchise settlement led to the squad doubling the per-game pay, from $200 to $400. The latest raise is four times that amount. However, veterans Jada, Armani and Amanda will not see the benefits of the action as they all retired at the end of season two - leaving their successors to relish in the win. While it's understood that not all Dallas cheerleaders make the same salary, one ex-Cowboys cheerleader who exclusively spoke to the Daily Mail said she made between $15,000 and $22,000 per year while part of the DCC. Cheerleaders can also add to their pay by doing special appearances, with those rates understood to be based on tenure. Other reports, such as one from NBC Sports Boston in 2022, said that Cowboys cheerleaders earn between $15-20 per hour or $500 per game - which the publication calculated out to a healthier $75,000 yearly salary. An ESPN report from 2017 added that the average leaguewide game-rate for cheerleaders was between $75 and $150. The franchise's chief brand officer - and daughter of owner Jerry Jones - Charlotte Jones has previously admitted cheerleaders are underpaid. 'There's a lot of cynicism around pay for NFL cheerleaders — as it should be. They're not paid a lot,' she said in the first season of the documentary, which shows the dedication it takes to be a Cowboys cheerleader. 'But the facts are, they actually don't come here for the money. They come here for something that's actually bigger than that to them. 'They have a passion for dance. There are not a lot of opportunities in the field of dance to get to perform at an elite level. It is about being a part of something bigger than themselves,' Jones continued. 'It is about a sisterhood that they are able to form, about relationships that they have for the rest of their life. They have a chance to feel like they are valued, they are special, and they are making a difference. When the women come here, they find their passion and they find their purpose.' As seen on Netflix, many of the team's members have to hold second jobs to pursue their goals in dance, and spend 30 to 40 hours of their week practicing.
