Kevin Williamson 'Loosely' Based ‘The Waterfront' On His Dad's Criminal Past: 'He Paid The Price'
With Netflix's The Waterfront, premiering Thursday on the streamer, the series creator revealed that he was 'loosely inspired' by his family and his late father, 'a fisherman who got into a little trouble smuggling some drugs on his fishing boat.'
More from Deadline
'The Waterfront': Netflix Reveals Premiere Date For Kevin Williamson Drama
'The Waterfront' Trailer: Coastal Family Turns To Drugs To Save Empire in Kevin Williamson Drama
'Nobody Wants This' Creator Erin Foster Talks Season 2 Timeline, Leighton Meester And Adam Brody Together On Screen
'But it was really small time stuff,' he noted to the New York Post. 'He was caught and arrested. He paid the price.'
'He always said, 'Wait till I'm dead.' But I do know my dad has a big sense of humor and I'm sure wherever he is, he's happy knowing I did this show,' added Williamson.
Despite the patriarch's checkered history, Williamson remembers his father as 'the best man ever, and so I was like, 'how did such a good man take a left turn?' I feel like we're in a world now where everyone has a side hustle….Everyone's trying to survive and they're doing what they can just to pay the bills. I really wanted to tap into that struggle.'
In The Waterfront, things spiral out of control when the Buckleys turn to drug smuggling in attempt to save their once-thriving North Carolina fishing empire. The series stars Melissa Benoist, Mario Bello, Holt McCallany and Jake Weary.
Best of Deadline
'Stick' Soundtrack: All The Songs You'll Hear In The Apple TV+ Golf Series
'Stick' Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Come Out?
'The Buccaneers' Season 2 Soundtrack: From Griff To Sabrina Carpenter
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Netflix's $6 Billion UK Spend Pays Off With Strong Growth, Membership Gains
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) stock traded higher on Friday, backed by investor optimism over its U.K. financial arm's results and FIFA Women's World Cup deal win. The streaming giant's U.K. unit grew revenue 11% in 2024 to 1.85 billion pounds ($2.48 billion) as it expanded in the market, according to its Companies House filing on Thursday. A Netflix spokesperson told Variety that it has contributed significantly to the U.K. economy over the past four years by investing $6 billion, employing more than 50,000 cast and crew, and collaborating with over 200 producers to create British content that has gained global company remains committed to the long term, investing more in the U.K. than in any country except the U.S. Netflix Services U.K. Limited, the British distribution unit, posted an operating profit of 43.2 million pounds ($58 million), down from 53.7 million pounds ($72.1 million) in 2023. Profit after tax rose to 47.8 million pounds ($64.1 million) from 46.5 million pounds ($62.4 million). Revenue growth came from an 11% increase in average paid memberships. The company's income included membership fees and reimbursements for services to Netflix International B.V. and Netflix Inc. It distributed 50 million pounds ($67.2 million) in interim dividends in July 2024. The workforce expanded to an average of 263 employees from 220, with investments in content support, finance, legal, and marketing. View more earnings on NFLX Netflix U.K. advanced sustainability efforts with 2030 climate goals and partnered with organizations like the National Youth Theatre to promote diversity and industry access. Netflix International B.V. became the direct shareholder in May after merging with Netflix Services Holdings B.V. Netflix acquired exclusive rights to broadcast the FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada for 2027 and 2031, marking the first such deal in the country, the Deadline reported on Friday. The agreement follows Netflix's acquisition of U.S. rights to both tournaments, the first time the platform secured full rights to a sports competition. The 2027 tournament in Brazil will see reigning champions Spain defend their title, while England, the 2023 runners-up, recently defeated Spain in the UEFA European Women's Championship final. Four-time winners USA exited the 2023 World Cup in the round of 16 after a loss to Sweden. The deals expand Netflix's push into live sports, including the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 boxing match, WWE Raw, NFL Christmas Day games, and upcoming fights like Saul Canelo vs. Terence Crawford. On soccer, Netflix's slate features documentaries such as Captains of the World, Beckham, and Sunderland' Til I Die, with upcoming titles on Vinícius Júnior and José Mourinho. The 2027 Brazil tournament will run from June 24 to July 25, with the 2031 edition expanding to 48 teams. Netflix stock gained 36% year-to-date. Price Action: NFLX stock is trading higher by 2.50% to $1,209.99 at last check Friday. Photo via Shutterstock UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? NETFLIX (NFLX): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Netflix's $6 Billion UK Spend Pays Off With Strong Growth, Membership Gains originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
New York Times
2 minutes ago
- New York Times
‘Well, I'll Let You Go' Review: A Fog of Grief
Twenty-five years they lived in this old farmhouse together, Maggie and Marv — one of those good, solid couples the people in their Midwestern suburb have long since come to depend on: for help when times are difficult, and for the everyday hope that decent people inspire just by being there. But Marv died the other day — heroically, the neighbors say. Now Maggie is abruptly on her own in middle age, peering out from the fog of grief, trying to make sense of the life she built for herself and the husband she thought she knew. Played with deftness and delicacy by the extraordinary Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Maggie is the center who may or may not hold in 'Well, I'll Let You Go,' the quietly absorbing new drama by Bubba Weiler at the Space at Irondale in Brooklyn. Marv's death — his murder, actually, in murky circumstances — has body-slammed Maggie. Weariness is etched in her face; it weighs down her walk. Yet she has to keep moving, accepting the too-many flowers and too-many casseroles that materialize at her door, and deciding what to do about a funeral, which she isn't even sure she wants. Looking on at all this is a narrator played by Michael Chernus (recently of the Apple TV+ series 'Severance'), like a heartland variation on the Stage Manager in Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town,' to which Weiler's play nods. (The stripped-down set, part of that homage, is by Frank J. Oliva.) As friends, family and strangers appear at Maggie's house, the narrator tells us the secrets of each one: Wally (Will Dagger), Marv's odd, alarming mess of a cousin, who has leaned hard on Marv and Maggie and knows he is a burden; Joanie (Constance Shulman), whose myopic eccentricity makes her horrendous at her funeral home job, but who chose that career for a devastating reason; Julie (Amelia Workman), Maggie's friend since childhood, who visits only belatedly because 'Maggie has held her up through a lifetime of rough patches, and she's afraid what it might cost to pay her back.' Also stopping by: Jeff (Danny McCarthy), Marv's brother and Julie's husband, who is not above manipulating Maggie at her most vulnerable; Angela (Emily Davis), who figures in Maggie's past in a heartbreaking way that Maggie only vaguely remembers; and Ashley (Cricket Brown), the community college student whose life Marv saved from the gunman who killed him, and whose connection to Marv is, for Maggie, a torturous mystery. This is an eye-poppingly talented cast, delivering meticulous, vivid performances. Then again, Weiler — an Illinois native notable for his stellar turn in Rebecca Gilman's likewise subdued prairie play, 'Swing State' — has done what performer-playwrights tend to do: written a showcase for actors. Other than the omnipresent Chernus, each shares a single scene with Bernstine. The play is directed by Jack Serio, who made his reputation for assembling prestige casts when he staged 'Uncle Vanya' in a loft two summers ago, with David Cromer in the title role. (Stacey Derosier, who lit that show, is similarly expert here.) In its palpable Midwestern-ness, this production feels reminiscent of Cromer's 'Our Town.' (The spot-on costumes are by Avery Reed.) Niggling detail, though: The geographic illusion breaks — at least for people like me, who are from there — when characters pronounce 'Wisconsin' with an East Coast crispness (Wis-CON-sin) instead of running it together, Midwest-style: Wi-SCON-sin. 'Well, I'll Let You Go' is a deeply American play about loss, regret and what makes a meaningful life. It's about how weird people are around death, and how confused they can be by complexity, especially when morality is involved. It's about the elusiveness of love, let alone happiness. And it's about the clarity that comes when that fog of grief dissipates, even for a moment, and you can see what was real, and what you get to hang on to. Well, I'll Let You GoThrough Aug. 29 at the Space at Irondale, Brooklyn; Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes.
Tom's Guide
33 minutes ago
- Tom's Guide
Netflix unveils first look at new political thriller movie — and somehow my hype levels for this upcoming release just got even higher
Netflix has offered up the first image from its upcoming original political thriller, 'A House of Dynamite.' And just when I thought my excitement levels were already maxed out, this initial glimpse at Rebecca Ferguson's part in the drama has got my anticipation levels climbing even higher. I'm trying to keep my expectations in check, but this one could be really special. The movie comes from director Kathryn Bigelow, the filmmaker behind 'The Hurt Locker' and 'Zero Dark Thirty,' which I rank as two of the best war movies of the 21st century. She was also the first woman to win the Academy Award for Best Director, for the former movie, which also went on to win Best Picture, beating out the favorite James Cameron's 'Avatar.' The logline for 'A House of Dynamite' is seriously hooky: 'A group of White House officials scramble to deal with an incoming missile attack on the U.S.' Tell me that doesn't sound like a compelling setup for a politically charged thriller. Even better, this first image has me wondering if the movie will take place mostly in a single location, a 'war room' within the heart of the United States' government. I love single-location movies, so if that prediction proves to be accurate, I'll be even more delighted. I've not even touched upon the cast either, which is seriously stacked. Alongside Ferguson, you've got Idris Elba, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Greta Lee, Jason Clarke, Willa Fitzgerald, Kyle Allen, Kaitlyn Dever, and more. That's serious star power there. Plus, the flick is written by Noah Oppenheim, who has form in this genre, having co-written Netflix's 'Zero Day' limited series released earlier this year. Granted to middling reviews. Mix all these ingredients together, and it sure does sound like a Netflix Original that everybody is going to watch and talk about when it lands on the streaming service on October 24. It will also receive a limited theatrical release the same month, so I'm hoping it appears at a multiplex near me, because it sounds worth seeing on the biggest screen possible. The other reason I've already got 'A House of Dynamite' near the top of my Netflix watchlist is that the streaming service could really do with a win right now after serving up subscribers a summer of slop. Sorry to be harsh, but Netflix's recent movie output has been particularly poor. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. In recent months, we've been treated to (or should that be punished with) a movie like "The Electric State," "The Life List," 'Tyler Perry's Straw,' 'The Old Guard 2,' 'Madea's Destination Wedding,' and 'My Oxford Year,' not to mention underwhelming international movies like 'Brick,' "iHostage," and 'Wall to Wall.' After so many disappointments, I'm seriously craving a Netflix movie that I can recommend without any caveats, and that could even have a shot at getting into my favorite movies of the year list (at present, there's not a single Netflix original remotely near making the cut). Could 'A House of Dynamite' be the movie that reminds me that Netflix is still a platform where fantastic original movies can be found? I hope so, but I'm not going to get ahead of myself. We haven't even got a trailer yet, so while the signs are promising, I won't be declaring it a guaranteed hit just yet. Cautiously optimistic is my current approach. In the meantime, while waiting for 'A House of Dynamite' to begin streaming, you can check out our guide to everything new on Netflix in August 2025 for some picks that you can start streaming this week. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
