What is The Waterfront about on Netflix?

The Waterfront is a crime drama about the Buckley family from North Carolina. When their fishing business runs into trouble, they become embroiled in drug trafficking to survive.

Who plays the lead roles in The Waterfront?

The main roles are played by Holt McCallany (Harlan), Maria Bello (Belle), Jake Weary (Cane), and Melissa Benoist (Bree).

Where was The Waterfront filmed?

The series was largely filmed in North Carolina, including Wilmington and Southport – places that fans may recognize from Dawson’s Creek or The Summer I Turned Pretty.

Entertainment

This is why The Waterfront will be your next Netflix addiction

Q: Is The Waterfront based on a true story?

Yes, partly. Creator Kevin Williamson based the series on his own family history, where his father got involved in drug dealing to support the family.

Q: Is there going to be a season 2 of The Waterfront?

Netflix has not yet confirmed a second season, but creator Kevin Williamson already has plans for multiple seasons ready. Fingers crossed.

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With the warm weather of the past few days, I sought out the coolness indoors. Fortunately, Netflix made sure I definitely didn't have to be bored: the new crime drama ‘The Waterfront' had just floated into the top 10. What started as watching one episode out of curiosity quickly turned into a binge weekend. This is one of those series that you just have to know how it continues.

Everything you need to know about the story of The Waterfront

In ‘The Waterfront’, everything revolves around the Buckley family, a powerful family in the fictional town of Havenport in the American state of North Carolina. Everywhere in the town, you see the family name, all thanks to their fishing business and the accompanying restaurant. For a long time, the Buckleys were incredibly wealthy, until father Harlan (Holt McCallany) had to take a step back to recover from a double heart attack. His wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) take over, but that turns out not to be such a success. Business is bad, and the family ends up in deep debt. Out of desperation, they decide to work together with drug dealers. They will transport large quantities of cocaine and opiates with their ships, in exchange for millions of dollars. This decision comes at a high cost, and the family becomes increasingly entangled in a web full of drugs, violence, and lies. Meanwhile, daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist), who is trying to overcome her own alcohol and drug addiction, gets caught up in a relationship that threatens to reveal the family's secret operation. Every obstacle overcome seems to only lead to more problems. Yet the Buckleys continue to fight for their business; it symbolizes their family, and they will do anything for it.

Is The Waterfront based on a true story?

The answer to that question is actually yes and no. Large parts of the story are fictionalized and dramatized, but the basis comes from a true story; that of creator Kevin Williamson. He himself calls the series his most personal story ever. Williamson drew his inspiration from his own family. His father was a fisherman in North Carolina who also faced financial problems. When he could no longer support his family , he decided to accept an offer to transport drugs. “My father – a very, very good man – was tempted to do things that weren't so legal. It put food on the table and helped me go to college.” It formed the inspiration for the character of Harlan. His mother is also ‘visible’ in the series; her strong character and fighting spirit for the family were the source behind Belle. “Mine kept everything running. I could go to school and graduated thanks to the fire she ignited under my ass.” Williamson had previously referenced his father's story in his earlier work, for example in ‘Dawson's Creek’, but never before had it been so central as in ‘The Waterfront’.

These locations from The Waterfront you have seen before

Although the town of Havenport doesn't really exist, a large part of the series was indeed filmed in North Carolina, especially in the cities of Wilmington and Southport. Williamson grew up in this area and wanted to film here for that reason. “If I could, I would film everything here.” It wasn't the first time the filmmaker worked here; he also filmed ‘Dawson's Creek’ and ‘I Know What You Did Last Summer’ in this area. Various locations such as the harbor could therefore be seen in multiple series. More creators are charmed by North Carolina; ‘Outer Banks’, ‘One Tree Hill’ and ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty’ were also filmed here. Fans of the latter series might especially recognize one well-known beach in ‘The Waterfront’. Both shows made use of Wrightsville Beach, which is truly beautiful. So, anyone wanting to imagine themselves in one of these series is in the right place in North Carolina.

Is there going to be a season 2 of The Waterfront?

Anyone who has also binged the series at a rapid pace and thus has seen the end will wonder one thing: is there going to be a second season? Without spoiling too much, I can tell you that there are still plenty of questions left to explore. Since the series has only recently been released, Netflix has not yet announced any news about a possible sequel. However, hopeful sounds are already coming from here and there, especially from Williamson himself. He reportedly approached Netflix with a deal for three seasons but would even be willing to make more. The creator certainly has enough ideas about how the story could continue, but he too will have to wait and see how the first season is received. So far, the series has been in the top 10 on Netflix since its release, so that's already a good sign. We will have to wait a little longer for more updates, but in the meantime, we can at least watch eight exciting episodes (again). ‘The Waterfront’ is now available on Netflix.