The Waterfront was created by Kevin Williamson, who also serves as showrunner and executive produces the series alongside Ben Fast.

Netflix gave the series a production order on May 15, 2024, and Marcos Siega was brought on four months later to direct the first two episodes and serve as an executive producer.

Despite premiering with all eight episodes on June 19, 2025, Netflix canceled The Waterfront after just one season on August 25, 2025.

Holt McCallany and Maria Bello were the first actors cast, joining in August 2024, followed by the rest of the main cast including Melissa Benoist, Jake Weary, Rafael L. Silva, Humberly González, Danielle Campbell, and Brady Hepner in September 2024.

Topher Grace and Andrew Call joined the recurring cast in October 2024, with Dave Annable added in November 2024.

Principal photography took place over several months, from August to December 2024, on location in Wilmington and Southport, North Carolina.

John Frizzell, a frequent collaborator of creator Kevin Williamson, composed the score for the series, with the soundtrack released digitally by Lakeshore Records on June 20, 2025.

The series received mixed reviews, holding a 68% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a Metacritic score of 54 out of 100, with critics describing it as 'grim and pulpy' despite relying on clichés.