The Waterfront: Kevin Williamson's fishing empire drama starring Holt McCallany & Maria Bello gets first-look pics and a premiere date (2025)

When I hear The Waterfront, I think of countless seaside clubs and restaurants serving fresh crab, buttery lobster, and alarming shrimp cocktails. I’m allergic to shellfish, so I run in the opposite direction of places like this, but Netflix is ready to pick up a fork and knife to dig into a new 8-episode series, served with a side of family drama. The streamer debuted a gallery of images for The Waterfront on Wednesday alongside an official premiere date of June 19, 2025.

Here’s the official description for The Waterfront courtesy of Netflix:

For decades, the Buckley family has ruled Havenport, North Carolina, dominating everything from the local fishing industry to the town’s restaurant scene. But their fishing empire has started to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two heart attacks, and his wife Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) venture into the deep end to keep the family businesses afloat.

As their attempts spiral out of control and into treacherous waters, Harlan steps back in to take command. Facing her own demons, Buckley daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist) — an addict in recovery who’s lost custody of her son — finds herself entangled in a complicated relationship that could threaten the family’s future forever.

Inspired by true events and set against the backdrop of coastal North Carolina, The Waterfront comes from prolific showrunner Kevin Williamson (Scream, Dawson’s Creek, The Vampire Diaries). The twisty drama plays out over eight episodes that are as much about family dynamics as they are about the lengths people will go to when their legacy is on the line.

Woof! It sounds like the Buckley family is heading toward rough seas while picking up the pieces of one dire situation after the next. The Waterfront stars Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Jake Weary, Melissa Benoist, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, and Brady Hepner, with Topher Grace, Dave Annable, Michael Gaston, Gerardo Celasco, and Zach Roerig as guest stars.

In today’s gallery of first-look images for The Waterfront, the Buckley family struggles to keep their empire from falling into ruin while keeping their family together. People rarely think about where their food comes from or the people who work tirelessly to provide the goods. The Waterfront should paint a vivid picture of the people who make delicious seaside meals possible while hooking audiences with delectable family drama.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He's also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You'll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.