Latest news with #TheWaterfront
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Netflix's Crime Drama ‘The Waterfront' Was Inspired By Real Life Events
Holt McCallany and Maria Bello in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix. Series creator and showrunner Kevin Williamson drew inspiration from his father's past mistakes while writing the Netflix crime drama The Waterfront. The result is a gripping and dynamic tale about one family's misguided approach to resolving their financial troubles. Set in coastal North Carolina, the story of the prominent Buckley clan is told over eight episodes, each packed with twists, turns, and cliffhangers that will keep you hooked. It's one of the best new shows in years and is reminiscent of classic family dramas, The Sopranos and Ray Donovan, in that there is nothing the Buckleys will not do to preserve their legacy. Williamson, who has had a string of hit TV shows including Scream, Dawson's Creek, and The Vampire Diaries, sat down in an interview before the series premiered on June 19 to talk about his dad's mistakes, which cost the family dearly. First, he clarified that the Buckleys are fictional, but their circumstances are not entirely made up. The Buckleys are a wealthy family on the verge of losing their fishing empire. They've ruled Havenport, North Carolina, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town's restaurant scene. Jake Weary, Danielle Campbell, and Melissa Benoist in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix. Their once-profitable family business faces financial ruin when patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) suffers from two heart attacks. To keep the family businesses afloat, his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) attempt to sell some precious land, knowing Harlan would be devastated. They also get into the drug smuggling business with some very unsavory characters, including drug kingpin Grady, played brilliantly by Topher Grace. What was meant to be a temporary fix quickly becomes a nightmare they cannot escape. Harlan attempts to take control of the spiraling situation as the Buckleys' daughter, Bree (Melissa Benoist), who is an addict in recovery and has lost custody of her son Diller (Brady Hepner), soon finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family's future. As Williamson explained, the events surrounding this fictitious family were inspired by his father's misdeeds. He took creative license to explore the lengths people will go to when their legacy is at stake. Williamson, who grew up in North Carolina, filmed the show in Southport, which is near Wilmington. He also filmed two of his biggest hit series, Dawson's Creek and I Know What You Did Last Summer, there. 'I'm very familiar with North Carolina because I grew up about two hours from there. There was a real Dawson's Creek where I grew up.' He then described the impetus for this story. 'My dad was a fisherman, and I come from a long line of fishermen,' he said, clarifying that though this story and family are completely fictional, his dad's real-life troubles inspired it. 'My dad got into some trouble in the 1980s. He was a fisherman, and it was tough. The regulations and the government quotas that they were putting on the fishermen at the time…he just couldn't make a living. And for a lot of fishermen, the business went away. If you look at the percentages of where we were and where we are today, and now with the import business and how you can get fresh fish from other countries, the American fisherman is growing extinct. My dad was falling on rough times, and someone offered him a chance to make some money on the down-low by smuggling some drugs, and he did it.' Williamson paused as he reflected on his father. 'He was a very good man who was trying to support his family.' He explained that this was not a one-time incident and led to a multi-year prison sentence, of which he served 11 months in a minimum security prison. He reiterated that his father was a good family man who made mistakes. 'I think when it comes to feeding and supporting your family, you would do anything.' Williamson described this family drama as very much like Dawson's Creek in that both were inspired by his experience growing up on a creek in North Carolina. "I love stories where a family, in this case, the Buckley clan, hits hard times. In this story, they try to steer the ship in the other direction.' The drug smuggling world, they quickly learn, is like quicksand; you cannot just dip your toe in without your entire body getting immersed in the mess. To extricate themselves from Grady's unrelenting grip, they do some pretty horrendous things. Jake Weary and Melissa Benoist in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix. Harlan, his wife Belle, and their children Cane and Bree each cross moral lines when it comes to saving the family as they get deeper and deeper into the world of crime. For Williamson, this was an examination into humanity. 'I wanted to explore the duality of life. You know, we're not this or that. We're this and something else. There's a duality to us; we are light and dark. I wanted to explore that in the context of a family that's challenged with crisis, because I think everyone today is challenged in some way.' While not making excuses for his characters' choices, Williamson points to the financial challenges many people face. 'We live in the gig economy era, and everyone's looking for a side hustle just to make ends meet, and this family has a history in this world.' Each family member does something they never thought they would or could, but it's all for the good of the family. McCallany, Benoist, and Weary discussed their characters in a sit-down interview. Holt McCallany in 'The Waterfront' on Netflix. McCallany described Harlan as 'a very imperfect man in many ways,' but explained his good intentions. 'He does a lot of things that a lot of people would consider morally ambiguous, but at the same time, I think that he loves his family very deeply. They're the most important thing in the world to him. And so, at the end of the day, the decisions that he makes come from a place of love.' When asked to talk about her character, Bree, Benoist said she found a way to understand and relate to her. She's complex, and despite feeling betrayed by her family, when push comes to shove, she does something extreme to save them. 'I don't think she likes herself, and I think that's a force for a lot of her behavior. The entire time that we were shooting this, I found myself defending her time and time again because I could see that this person was in so much pain. She has a lot of her father in her, and she so desperately wants to be loved and accepted by her family.' Bree's motivation, added Benoist, was her son. 'She wants to atone for all these terrible things that she's done to him. She's trying to make up for all of that. Not just with him, but the rest of her family as well. She has a cross to bear.' As for Cane, who got the family into this drug-smuggling mess, Weary said, 'He's a victim of circumstance and now he's trying to repair his family's legacy.' When asked whether there would be another season, Williamson was quick to answer. 'I'm ready for a second season, because I think we're just getting started.' He wants to keep exploring that gray area between good and bad. 'I love the idea of good people doing bad things. The Buckleys are good people, but they cross the line and the line keeps moving in the show. Once you cross that line, can you come back, and is there salvation?'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'The Waterfront': Holt McCallany shares how his own dad and Kevin Williamson's father inspired his character
From the creator of Dawson's Creek and The Vampire Diaries, Kevin Williamson, the new Netflix show The Waterfront, starring Holt McCallany, Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary and Maria Bello, definitely leans into Williamson's success with melodrama, but with a more personal edge. While the 1998 show pulled from Williamson personal life, specifically Joey Potter's dad being in prison for drug trafficking, the writer and TV creator goes deeper into his life story for elements of The Waterfront. The show is centred around the Buckley family in Havenport, North Carolina, who have dominated the local fishing industry. It all starts with the Buckleys boat being hijacked as two men are using it to smuggle drugs, complicating the lives of the family that's already facing mounting debt. Harlan Buckley (McCallany) is the patriarch, who's recovering from two heart attacks, married to his wife Belle (Bello), who's tasked with managing her philandering husband, in addition to the family restaurant and fishing business, alongside their son Cane (Weary), who's married to Peyton (Danielle Campbell). But when journalist Jenna (Humberly González) returns to her hometown, there may still be some sparks between her and her high school sweetheart, Cane. Harlan and Belle also have a daughter, Bree (Benoist), a recovering addict who lost custody of her teenage son, Diller (Brady Hepner), after her most recent relapse. A interesting element in The Waterfront is how Bree is trying to work her way back to being in the inner circle of her own family, largely being shut down due to her addiction. In one of the show's most moving scenes, Bree has a frank conversation with Bella where she asks her mom, "When am I going to be a part of this family?" But Bella is firm that she needs to earn her family's trust back by staying sober. "I wish you'd see me as an ally and not an obstacle," Bree says. "Maria Bello is incredible. I've been a fan of hers for a very long time, so getting to do that scene with her was exciting in the first place," Benoist told Yahoo Canada. "I think in that moment of the story, it's something that I certainly was craving. It feels really visceral, wanting to be a part of the family more, so it was satisfying to be able to say it out loud." "That's something that I love about Bree is that she actually does say the bad stuff out loud, the hard things to say. ... Kevin Williamson actually said something to me at one point, in one of our first conversations, that Bree's sort of like the truth teller, and I think that is a moment that she shows that side of her." But McCallany had a particularly interesting task in The Waterfront because much of his character is based on Williamson's experience growing up with his fisherman father in North Carolina, who was a drug runner. "I did feel a little bit of additional responsibility, because I knew that it was a very personal story for Kevin, and much of it was inspired by his dad, and then I'm playing the dad," McCallany said. "So we did talk about it." "I remember sending Kevin an email in which I asked certain questions and presented certain ideas. And he answered my questions and he kind of embraced the ideas, and from that point forward we had a very kind of easy going, open and cordial relationship that really lasted throughout the entire season. I was happy with the dialogue that he was writing for me. He was happy with the way that I was interpreting it. And so there was no conflict in my relationship with Kevin at any time." McCallany added that while he took inspiration from what Williamson told him about his father, the actor also took inspiration from his own dad. "[My father] was a heavy drinker and could unreliable in certain instances," McCallany said. "You take a little of this, you take a little of that, and you kind of build a character ... by deciding what to include and what to exclude. And at the end of the day, Harlan kind of just emerged for me through that process." And of course, with the exploration of Harlan comes his relationship with his son, with Cane often having to try to uphold a murky set of ideals he's gotten from his father. "What's so intriguing about Cane is this battle between the idealized version of himself and who he just really is, the life that he's been given," Weary said. "To get to play with that father-son dynamic is really interesting, especially getting to work with someone like Holt too, who I think we have such a great rapport together." "He added something to that dynamic that I think is really unique and we were able to really have fun with it. And there's ... almost like a comedic element to it, where he's almost like the straight man, and I'm the wild card. And I think that I'm really excited to see where that where that goes." Told in eight episodes, Williamson has created a twisty story where everyone makes mistakes, and the evaluation starts to become the best way to move beyond bad decisions.
Time Out
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
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).
The Review Geek
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
Has The Waterfront been renewed for Season 2? Here's what we know:
Renewed or Cancelled? The Waterfront is the latest soapy crime drama on Netflix, armed with a dysfunctional family, a simple premise and an intriguing cast of characters. Having watched the first season in its entirety, you may be wondering if this one has been renewed or cancelled. Well, wonder no more! What is The Waterfront about? The Waterfront is a Southern-set Netflix drama that follows the Buckley family, once rulers of Havenport's fishing industry. After patriarch Harlan Buckley suffers multiple heart attacks, the family business starts to sink. In a desperate bid to stay afloat, Harlan's wife Belle and their son Cane secretly get involved in drug smuggling—drawing the attention of the DEA after a major shipment disappears. As the season progresses, this dynamic takes on a slightly more sinister edge, as Harlan is pulled back into the company and the pair start working with shady characters. We have extended coverage of The Waterfront across the site, including recaps for every episode. You can find those HERE! Has The Waterfront been renewed for Season 2? At the time of writing, The Waterfront has not been renewed for season 2. Generally Netflix would gauge numerous metrics before renewing a show, including how many people initially watch it and then looking at the drop-off rate. With some shows, cancellations or renewals happen quickly. Other times, it can take months before a decision over a show's future is made. So far, Aniela has had a mixed reaction online from critics and audiences alike. Given the way this show is set up, and the ending we receive, we're predicting that this will be renewed for a second season. The series has lots of potential, and we also know that Netflix tend to shine a much more favourable light on soapy dramas like this. Having said that, we do also know that completion rate is a massive metric for these streamers so that could play a pivotal role here. For now, we'll have to wait and see what happens so take our prediction with a pinch of salt! What we know about season 2 so far: Barely anything is known about The Waterfront season 2 at this point given Netflix haven't officially renewed or cancelled this one. Given the first season's conclusion, it does seem likely to get the nod for another season though but we'll have to wait and see. Seeing Cane and Harlan find newfound respect for each other, while Diller and Bree also manage to go from estranged to respecting each other are two of the better moments for the finale. When it comes to Belle though, it seems like she's prepped to be the new leader and it will almost certainly cause friction with Harlan. And what is Peyton planning? She seems way too calm after everything that's taken place with her husband; she could also be planning something too. The final episode does end on a pretty big cliffhanger here so if this is picked up, we can expect another 8 episodes, and perhaps more dramatic mishaps and a new player in the drug game too.. We will update this page when more information becomes available, so be sure to check this page out in the near future. Would you like to see The Waterfront return for a second season? What's been your favourite part of the show? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
The Review Geek
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Review Geek
The Waterfront – Season 1 Episode 7 'Nice Try' Recap & Review
Nice Try Episode 7 of The Waterfront starts with Cane waking up in bed with Jenna. He hurriedly gets dressed though when he receives the call about Harlan, who's not in a good way. The doctor gives him the all-clear, despite suffering from some nasty stings. Harlan is pissed. He wants to take out Grady completely and kill the guy. Harlan aggravates him when Grady calls, and realizes that they're being watched. Harlan scares off Grady's guy with a gun and demands he stay away from the family. Of course, that's not going to happen, given the tendrils Grady has in this business. Back at the office, Cane and Harlan have even more problems to contend with. They have 43 days to pay off their massive debt. Instead of working with Grady, Cane suggests they turn and work with Emmett Parker instead. This guy has a whole operation going on, way bigger than Grady's, and it's one of the biggest in the South. It turns out Harlan's father used to work with Emmett back in the day too. However, it was Emmett's men who ordered the hit on him, explaining how they're mixed up with the family. Cane though, believes they should work with him all the same, at least to get out of their financial hole. Things turn from bad to worse for Bree, who's blindsided at Diller's place when she finds out she needs to test for drugs. She refuses to do so, obviously because she has been using, but Diller is at least okay, so there is that. Cane and Harlan meet with Emmett and the vibe is completely different to Grady's operation. They want to make a deal, and this time it's Cane who speaks up. He wants to deal for 12 million and Jeb, Emmett's father, is here to oversee this. Jeb doesn't trust them, given the desperation and 'fast money' they want. He also makes sure they're not double-dipping and wants them to cut ties with Grady completely. Harlan suggests that Emmett take out Grady but he and Jeb laugh incredulously and wonder what's led to this. Eventually they agree and Jeb agrees to take care of Grady. Jeb is old school though and Harlan explains to his son after that when Jeb was crossed by Harlan's father, Beau, he paid the price. Harlan goes on to mention how that drug running the way they are is like a drug itself, something that's very hard to shake. That night, Belle speaks to Harlan and explains that she made a decision for the family. She believes she's earned the Buckley name and explains that she also slept with Wes too. She didn't do it to hurt Harlan, and did so mostly to help herself here, to feel something while everything around her is falling apart. Meanwhile, Rodney shows up at Bree's looking for Diller. Apparently he's run away after they had an argument and he thought the kid left for Bree's. Bree is shocked when she finds out Rodney wants to relocate (well, it's mostly Georgina's decision to be fair) explaining why there's friction here. Bree does find Diller quite quickly though and explains that he should probably head home. She knows there's not much they can do but does stick up for Rodney's parental responsibility. She doesn't expect Diller to forgive her but reassures him that he's the only reason she's trying to get better. At work, Cane starts spiralling when he finds Emmett's men tied up with a sign reading 'nice try' in his office. It seems Grady has figured out what's happening and got wise to the assassination attempt. He calls Belle over to help out, who's shocked when she finds what they're dealing with. At the fish house, things are made worse when a gas leak forces everybody out the building. However, Bree is unaware of this, given she was out back, and soon finds Belle inside trying to cover up the dead bodies. Unfortunately, this whole plan comes back to bite Harlan while he's about to head out for a fishing trip with Shawn. The pair are held at gunpoint on the road and kidnapped, taken over to Grady's farm. Grady confronts Harlan about his deal with Emmett here and threatens Shawn at gunpoint. Just before he fires, he reveals that he's Harlan's son. This is enough for Harlan to bend and agree to work with Grady, determined to protect his son. While this is going on, Cane heads over to Grady's farm to save his father with Tim and Reggie. He heads inside the barn and finds Grady's entire drug operation, and a skirmish soon breaks out between him and Grdy's goons. They eventually decide to blow the barn sky-high, which in turn also destroys Grady's entire drug operation. A big fight breaks out after, but Tim is shot dead and Grady chases after them with a machine gun. They literally run in a straight line across an empty field, causing Reggie to be shot in the leg and the others avoiding gunfire. Plot armour, everyone! While the guys get away, and Grady lives to fight another day, Belle and Bree work together to clear up the mess in the office. Bree though is struggling and has been ever since she was 7. She eventually concedes and admits that she killed Marcus by buying him drugs to protect the family. When Belle realizes the true story, she's shocked at jumping to conclusions initially. Bree though, believes she deserves to be punished. Unfortunately, that punishment comes in the form of Grady's men, who show up that night and kidnap her. The Episode Review So the misunderstanding between Belle and Bree is finally resolved and their conversation together is actually a nice inclusion, especially as they address the issue that's plagued their entire relationship all these years. Meanwhile, Grady has somehow managed to outsmart Harlan and Cane. Although this would ordinarily be seen as a good move, I can't help but feel it undermines the menacing nature of Emmett and Jeb who seemed to have been a step up from Grady's operation but I guess not. The escape from the farm is a bit contrived as well, especially as we see Cane and the others literally run in a straight line away from machine gunfire, without even using the haybales or evasive manoeuvres. I know Reggie got shot but it would have been nice to see a bit more urgency from this scene. All of this aside though, the ending with Bree's kidnapping leaves everything wide open for the rest of the season, which hopefully will end things on a high. Previous Episode Next Episode Expect A Full Season Write-Up When This Season Concludes!
