Where Were the Filming Locations for Netflix’s The Waterfront in North Carolina?
Netflix’s Outer Banks captured the hearts of viewers with its portrayal of southern coastal towns. Now, a new series set in North Carolina is making waves on the streaming platform — The Waterfront. This show focuses on the prominent yet dysfunctional Buckley family, who find themselves entangled in the dangerous drug trade while trying to keep their fishing empire afloat.
The Waterfront is set in the fictional town of Havenport, North Carolina, showcasing stunning seaside views across all eight episodes. Fans are left speculating whether Havenport is a real location.
Read on for all the details about where The Waterfront was filmed.
Is Havenport, North Carolina, a Real Place?
While Havenport, North Carolina, is not a real place, the series was filmed in several genuine towns across the state.
Where Was ‘The Waterfront’ Filmed?
The towns of Southport and Wilmington, North Carolina, serve as the stand-ins for Havenport. Various buildings and landmarks across these towns were utilized as filming locations for The Waterfront, as reported by The News & Observer.
For instance, the Carter County Courthouse depicted in the show was actually a U.S. post office located in Wilmington, while the Buckley Crab Shack represents Fishy Fishy Cafe in Southport. Additionally, Wilmington’s William E. Poole Designs was used as Havenport Hardware, and the Chamber of Commerce in Wilmington played the role of Havenport’s emergency room.
Other notable locations include Southport’s Morningstar Marinas, Wilmington’s Suites on Market, Wilmington’s The Basics, and The Cotton Exchange, along with Southport’s International Longshoremen’s Local 1838, the Southport Community Building, and Wilmington’s Thalian Hall.
Series creator Kevin Williamson, who grew up in North Carolina, has set many of his projects in the region.
“I love North Carolina,” he expressed in an interview with Tudum. “If I could, I would film everything here.”
Williamson, known for his screenwriting on 1996’s Scream and creating Dawson’s Creek, described The Waterfront as “an escalation of other work I’ve done. It’s reflective, nostalgic, and serves as a memory piece.”
‘The Waterfront’ Is Based on a True Story
While the Buckley family and Havenport are fictional, Williamson shared that they draw inspiration from his own family history. Like Buckley patriarch Harlan Buckley (Holt McCallany), Williamson’s father, Wade Williamson, “was tempted to engage in some illegal activities that got him into trouble.”
“My dad was an excellent man. He was a fisherman,” Williamson recounted.
Unfortunately, as fishing dwindled in the area during the 1980s, Williamson’s father, who passed away in 2020, faced hardships.
“There was someone who suggested, ‘If you do this one thing, you can earn a lot of money.’ It was difficult to refuse,” Williamson recounted, revealing that his father consented to transport drugs on his fishing trawler. “He was caught, served time, and I graduated.”
Williamson’s father was arrested in the ‘80s for his involvement in a drug trafficking ring that utilized fishing boats to smuggle millions in narcotics along the North Carolina coastline. He faced charges for conspiring to traffic over 20,000 pounds of marijuana.
The Waterfront is currently available for streaming on Netflix.
