Few folks know drama like Kevin Williamson is aware of drama. The prolific screenwriter and creator identified for Scream, Dawson’s Creek, and The Vampire Diaries (who can be directing Scream 7!) has a observe file for thrilling audiences along with his wild plots and twisty turns, chockablock with human feelings and surprising penalties. And the identical could be stated for his newest undertaking, The Waterfront, which was apparently impressed by true occasions, and options the seemingly forever-fresh-faced Topher Grace as a well-established drug kingpin.
And within the new trailer, launched on Thursday (hey, that is in the present day!) by Netflix (the sequence’ streaming residence), we get a glimpse at Grace in all his broad-smiled glory, as he will get into enterprise with Mindhunter star Holt McCallany‘s Harlan Buckley. The sequence options quite a lot of acquainted Williamson traits, together with its coastal North Carolina backdrop, with household drama on the coronary heart of its story.

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Kevin Williamson created it? Say no extra. We’re there.
Simply have a look at the official synopsis:
For many years, the Buckley household has dominated Havenport, North Carolina, dominating every thing from the native fishing trade to the city’s restaurant scene. However their fishing empire has began to crumble as patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany) recovers from two coronary heart assaults, and his spouse Belle (Maria Bello) and son Cane (Jake Weary) enterprise into the deep finish to maintain the household companies afloat.
As their makes an attempt spiral uncontrolled and into treacherous waters, Harlan steps again in to take command. Dealing with her personal demons, Buckley daughter Bree (Melissa Benoist) — an addict in restoration who’s misplaced custody of her son Diller (Brady Hepner) — finds herself entangled in an advanced relationship that might threaten the household’s future perpetually.
Impressed by true occasions and set towards the backdrop of coastal North Carolina, The Waterfront comes from prolific showrunner Kevin Williamson (‘Scream,’ ‘Dawson’s Creek,’ ‘The Vampire Diaries’). The twisty drama performs out over eight episodes which are as a lot about household dynamics as they’re concerning the lengths folks will go to when their legacy is on the road.
“Impressed by true occasions, you say? What occasions? Can I Google them?” one would possibly ponder after studying that. Effectively, it looks as if Netflix and Co. are holding mum on that, as The Hollywood Reporter requested them about specifics twice, to which they replied that “Kevin pulled from his personal real-life upbringing in N.C. It’s not a 1:1 adaptation, however drew inspiration from.”
Curious to see the trailer and study extra about these true occasion origins? Pop on all the way down to the subsequent part, beneath!
‘The Waterfront’ Is A Excessive Stakes Crime Thriller… With A Lot Extra Sharks Than We Thought
Based mostly on the smile alone, we’re not shocked that Topher Grace has referred to as his efficiency in his position “unhinged.” However, as Williamson put it, the present is in the end about “a bunch of people that make errors, they do some unhealthy issues, after which they get in deeper and deeper and deeper.” He went on, explaining to Tudum:
“I come from an extended line of fishermen. The fishing trade kind of upturned within the ’80s — it began to go away, and my dad could not feed his household. So somebody got here alongside and stated, ‘Hey, for those who do that one factor, you can also make all this cash.’ And it was exhausting to say no to.” In accordance with Williamson, his father grew to become a runner for a time, transporting medicine on his trolley. “My dad — a really, superb man — received tempted to do some issues that weren’t so authorized and received in some bother. [But] it put meals on the desk, helped me go to school.”
However this is not the primary time Williamson has infused his personal story into his fictional creations. As he defined it: “If anybody’s a fan of Dawson’s Creek, within the very first episode, Joey Potter [Katie Holmes] says, ‘My dad’s in jail for conspiracy to site visitors marijuana in extra of 20,000 kilos.’ That was precisely my dad’s cost — that is why he went to jail. He received caught, he served his time, he received out, and I graduated.”
The Waterfront stars Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Jake Weary, Melissa Benoist, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, and Brady Hepner. It visitor stars Topher Grace, and premieres on Netflix on June 19, 2025.
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Netflix Press Launch