Imagine if Yellowstone took place in a North Carolina coastal town and instead of the family at the helm of the show being in the ranching business, they were in the fishing business—you’d get something along the lines of Netflix’s upcoming series, The Waterfront. There’s nothing we love more than unique and complicated family dynamics, especially those wrapped up in a family business, and this upcoming series is sure to have viewers entertained. Here, everything we know about The Waterfront.
What is ‘The Waterfront’ about?
This all-new Netflix series follows the Buckley family. For decades, they’ve ruled just about every facet of their small Carolina town, leaving their most significant mark on the local fishing industry, but the family patriarch’s ailing health makes things complicated for his wife and children. As the family does what they can to keep their heads above water, things get more and more complicated. See the trailer below!
This series comes from the mastermind behind shows like Dawson’s Creek and The Vampire Diaries, Kevin Williamson, so fans are already anticipating the drama to arrive in full force if it’s anything like his past work! This story in particular, however, is a little bit personal, as some of the inspiration was taken from his own life and family. “The fishing industry sort of upturned in the ’80s—it all started to go away, and my dad couldn’t feed his family,” he told Netflix’s Tudum. “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.”
Who’s in ‘The Waterfront’ cast?
This series has a star-studded cast, many of whom we’ve seen before shining on our screens. Leading the show as the family patriarch is Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, with Maria Bello playing the part of his wife, Belle. Jake Weary plays Harlan’s son Cane, with Melissa Benoist portraying his daughter Bree. Humberly Gonález plays Jenna, one of Cane’s old flames who is back in town to care for her dad, and Rafael L. Silva will play a new bartender at the Buckley’s eatery. Brady Hepner and Danielle Campbell join the cast as well, with none other than Topher Grace also guest starring.
Jake Weary, Danielle Campbell, Melissa Benoist, The Waterfront, 2025
DANA HAWLEY/NETFLIX
Grace will play a prominent drug lord, and show creator Kevin Williamson dove into his character in conversation with Collider. “He comes from a very well-to-do overachieving family where everyone’s lawyers and doctors and his father was super rich and he was a failure. He was sort of this tech bro who got into some money laundering and served time in prison, met some wrong people in prison, got out and decided that having a poppy farm was the way to succeed in life.”
Holt McCallany, Topher Grace, The Waterfront, 2025
DANA HAWLEY/NETFLIX
When does ‘The Waterfront’ premiere on Netflix?
The Waterfront will begin streaming on June 19, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store!
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