Blood is thicker than water in the trailer for Kevin Williamson's upcoming family crime series The Waterfront (2025)

Making ends meet is difficult nowadays, but adding a drug ring to your flailing business is a surefire way to create more problems than solutions to your woes. You don’t have to take my word for it; just ask the Buckley family. In a trailer for The Waterfront, the latest series from Dawson’s Creek and Scream creator Kevin Williamson, Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) goes to extremes to rescue the family business from collapse, even if that means partnering with an up-and-coming drug kingpin to keep his legacy from going under.

Here’s the official description forThe Waterfrontcourtesy 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 Waterfrontstars 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.

Today’s trailer for The Waterfront serves knuckle sandwiches with a side of drama as the Buckleys punch, argue, and walk the line for Kevin Williamson’s upcoming eight-episode series. It’s incredible how quickly turning to a life of crime will corrupt the most well-meaning individuals. Okay, so maybe Harlan isn’t the most upstanding citizen, but you know what I’m getting at. He strikes me as someone willing to do whatever it takes to keep his family’s heads above water, even if his methods are a bit suspect. Let’s hope Harlan and his clan can navigate the choppy waters and leave this mess with their freedom intact.

The Waterfront pulls into Netflix’s harbor on June 19, 2025.

Source: Netflix