What Is 'The Waterfront' on Netflix? Release Date, Cast, Filming Spots, All You Need to Know About the 'Succession'-Esque Thriller Drama

Published 05/10/2025, 1:18 PM EDT

From romance to revenge, Netflix’s streaming pipeline is filled with numerous binge-worthy series that cannot be skipped. But the allure of family dramas continues to be an appealing subject for the audience, which often sees giant streaming platforms trying to follow in the path carved by the ultra-hit series, Succession. And this summer, Netflix is ready with a similar show, The Waterfront.

Serving the main dish of dysfunctional family drama coupled with side dishes of mystery, betrayal, and fight for reviving what is lost, The Waterfront promises an entertaining watch.

Meet the Cast of Netflix‘s The Waterfront

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The Waterfront is written and executively produced by Kevin Williamson and revolves around the fictional Buckley family and their family business. Netflix has assembled an impressive list of a very talented cast for it. The series stars Holt McCallany as Harlan Buckley, a whiskey lover and a hard worker who built up the Buckley fishery in the ’80s with his father. Maria Bello will play his wife Belle Buckley, who runs the fishery in very questionable ways along with her son Cane Buckley, to be played by Jake Weary.

Also starring as their intelligent and hot-tempered daughter, Bree Buckley is Melissa Benoist, well known for her television portrayal of Supergirl in the past decade. The supporting members include Rafael L. Silva as Shawn West, Humberly González as Jenna Tate, Brady Hepner as Diller Hopkins, and vampire show, The Originals star, Danielle Campbell as Peyton Buckley.

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The ensemble cast is well-known faces of television known for various roles, who this time struggle with the theme of family equation and alcoholism, serving a solid plot in the series.

Tumultuous family struggles run through the plot of The Waterfront

Based in the fictional town of Havenport, North Carolina, The Waterfront is all about the Buckleys’ fishing empire and tense family dynamics. The family is the biggest player in the local fishing industry and the owner of the town’s restaurant, bringing in much cash and making relations more complex. But their empire gets a major setback when Harlan Buckley recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle and son Cane take charge of the business.

Meanwhile, each character has their own struggles, like Cane’s complex relationship with his dad, and Harlan’s and Bree’s alcoholism. Thrown in the mix is Bree’s losing custody of her son and struggles with sobriety and maintaining a relationship with him. The intense plot with numerous layers is just as biting as the coastal fish they serve in this upcoming series, which was filmed at exotic locales.

Release date and filming places of Netflix's The Waterfront

With a limited count of eight episodes, The Waterfront is sailing to Netflix on June 19, bringing the exotic views of Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina, where it was filmed. These locations also served as background for Kevin Williamson's other famous shows, like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Dawson's Creek.

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Besides this, Netflix has another Succession-style drama, Rotten Legacy, coming much earlier. After that, fans can entertain themselves with The Waterfront next month.

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What are your thoughts on the upcoming dysfunctional family drama? Share with us in the comments below.

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Shafaque Taha

182 articles

Shafaque Taha has been writing for more than half a decade now, and her passion for literature of any form is an early life habit. With more than 700 published articles in the sportainment, she is now armed with vigor to bring the same enthusiasm as an Entertainment Writer at Netflix Junkie. For her, entertainment provides a liberty to further explore the humanities with the forum of music and shows/movies in a world of ever-evolving art.

Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra

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