Everything Is Personal for Kevin Williamson, from ‘The Waterfront’ and ‘Vampire Diaries’ to His Return to the ‘Scream’ Franchise

[The pursuing question and reply contains immoderate spoilers for “The Waterfront.”]

Kevin Williamson was fresh to put down his pen. In precocious 2019, pursuing nan cancellation of his CBS crime thriller “The Following,” the creator down genre- and culturally-defining hits specified arsenic “The Vampire Diaries,” “Dawson’s Creek” and the “Scream” movie franchise was emotion burnt out.

“I was successful a woody astatine Warner Bros. wherever you person to singing for your supper a small bit, successful position of making a aviator each season. And if you don’t person a pilot, then, what bully are you? So I realized I didn’t person a aviator to show,” Williamson told IndieWire during a caller interview. “I was doing TV shows I didn’t want to do. I was making shows I wouldn’t watch. And arsenic soon arsenic you commencement doing that, you’re successful trouble. So I stopped and I quit, and I said, ‘No much TV.’”

But astatine nan onset of nan COVID-19 pandemic, pinch astir productions near astatine a standstill crossed nan industry, Williamson began emotion progressively restless. The copious amounts of unsocial clip had forced Williamson to commencement contemplating really he would yet tell his astir individual communicative to date: a play series, group successful his autochthonal North Carolina, loosely inspired by his commercialized fisherman father’s issues pinch nan law.

In 1983, during Williamson’s modulation from precocious schoolhouse to college, his father, Wade, was arrested for utilizing his ain vessel to participate successful an elaborate supplier smuggling operation, and he was later convicted of conspiracy to postulation marijuana successful excess of 20,000 pounds — nan aforesaid crime that Joey Potter’s dada was arrested for successful “Dawson’s Creek.” In retrospect, Williamson insists that his begetter did what he felt he needed to support his family, because nan sportfishing business successful North Carolina astatine that clip was astir to spell “belly up.”

“I ever teased my dada that I was going to do a show astir him, and astatine first he would joke and say, ‘Well, conscionable hold until I’m dead.’ And past I yet said, ‘No, really, Dad.’ He goes, ‘Well, I don’t want to beryllium dormant and not spot it,’” Williamson said, adding that Wade, a “Yellowstone” superfan, ever wanted Kevin Costner to play him. “I started penning it, and past sadly, he passed [in 2020], but he was ace proud. He was ace excited for me. He was a very funny man, and I deliberation he would’ve had a large grin connected his look because he would’ve loved each nan things we did.”

The last consequence is “The Waterfront,” which premiered this week connected Netflix. Set successful nan fictional municipality of Havenport, North Carolina, nan bid stars “Mindhunter” prima Holt McCallany arsenic patriarch Harlan Buckley who, while recovering from 2 bosom attacks, decides to retake power of his family’s crumbling sportfishing empire aft his woman Belle (Maria Bello) and boy Cane (Jake Weary) edifice to progressively vulnerable intends to support themselves afloat. One of those means? Smuggling opium astatine nan whim of a mercurial supplier kingpin (Topher Grace).

‘The Waterfront’Courtesy of Dana Hawley / Netflix

Given that he had conscionable been contemplating status a fewer years ago, Williamson, who conscionable turned 60 past year, admits that telling specified a individual communicative has fixed him a 2nd wind. “I’m not going to beryllium down yet — 1 time soon, but not today,” he said pinch a playful smile. “Look, I’m not penning teenagers anymore. I can’t support penning teenagers my full career, truthful it was bully to beryllium down and constitute immoderate adults.”

Speaking astatine nan extremity of different agelong time of editing nan adjacent “Scream” sequel, Williamson opens up astir nan real-life elements which informed his long-awaited return to TV, really that explosive finale sets up a imaginable sophomore outing, nan keys to building an epic emotion triangle — and why he thinks location will ever beryllium room for a bully vampire story.

The pursuing question and reply has been edited and condensed for clarity.

IndieWire: “The Waterfront” is not wholly astir Harlan, but he is surely nan centrifugal unit of this series. What parts of your ain precocious begetter did you effort to incorporated into nan characteristic that we spot successful this show?

Kevin Williamson: I really wanted to incorporated his consciousness of humor. My dada had a large consciousness of humor, and he had that benignant of self-awareness wherever he could remark connected immoderate fixed business that he was really opinionated in. He had that ability, and I deliberation he passed it to me. I recovered that to beryllium portion of thing that Holt does arsenic Harlan — he does a moving commentary connected what’s happening. That wrong sound becomes nan extracurricular voice. With Harlan, Holt really captures nan tone of my dad, but I deliberation Holt drew connected his ain begetter and his ain inheritance to fig retired who Harlan was. I deliberation he did a beautiful occupation because he’s conscionable very honest.

You person ever been known to create characters who are really an hold of really you spot yourself. How did that manifest this clip around? Are location immoderate elements of yourself that you tin admit successful nan Buckley clan?

Cane is that mislaid individual who feels for illustration he’s second-guessing each prime he’s ever made successful his life, and I tin spiral that measurement for sure, and I’m judge a batch of group can. I deliberation [Melissa Benoist’s] Bree speaks to nan outsider. She’s ne'er felt for illustration she belonged, and she besides suffers from addiction issues, and I subordinate to her a lot. Belle was a batch of my mom. She was difficult and acold erstwhile she needed to be; gentle, lukewarm and nurturing erstwhile she needed to be. She was ace successful charge. My dada was a very elemental but very analyzable man, and he didn’t show his feelings. But erstwhile he did, he felt them.

You person described “The Waterfront” arsenic bully group who are forced to do very bad things. The nosy of a show for illustration this is watching nan statement that nan Buckleys person drawn successful nan soil move arsenic they get deeper and deeper enmeshed successful this world of crime. How would you picture nan Buckley family’s civilized compass? Does nan extremity really warrant nan intends for them?

I deliberation they’ve worked really, really difficult not to do what they’re doing. Of course, Cane gets caught up successful it, and past Harlan goes successful and tries to hole Cane’s situation, and past they conscionable extremity up getting deeper and deeper into it. One of nan things that happens from a characteristic standpoint is Harlan reignites [as a person]. Crime agrees pinch him, and he starts to get backmost his mojo and his swagger, and that portion of him he had been missing. I deliberation Belle says it successful nan first aliases 2nd episode: She knows he tin spot it each ending, and this is simply a measurement for him to travel backmost to life a small bit.

And, of course, Cane is nan 1 who has to morally fig out: How acold is he consenting to go? He’s ne'er really held a gun, overmuch little pulled nan trigger. We watch him spell done each of those things, and his civilized compass besides comes successful nan shape of his precocious schoolhouse sweetheart who shows up. She’s benignant of nan roadworthy not taken, and she’s location to correspond each prime he didn’t return — and each prime possibly he still could. And if you’ve seen nan show, you cognize what happens.

‘The Waterfront’DANA HAWLEY/NETFLIX

The finale ends pinch Belle seemingly taking nan reins of nan sportfishing empire correct from nether Harlan’s chemoreceptor — and Harlan appears to beryllium none-the-wiser correct now. How does that cliffhanger group up a imaginable 2nd season?

I deliberation Belle, until this point, has stood by her husband. She joined into nan family. She wasn’t a Buckley. And I deliberation it was astir nan seventh section erstwhile she really lays it retired connected [Harlan] and she’s like, “I earned my name. I earned nan sanction Buckley. I americium a Buckley much truthful than you are.” I deliberation correct astir there, she’s starting to fig retired that, “You cognize what? I can’t guidelines successful nan shadows anymore. I’ve sat by, and he conscionable makes a mess, and I’m ever location to cleanable it up. Now I request to get successful beforehand of him truthful he conscionable won’t make nan messiness to commencement with.”

So I deliberation her constituent astatine nan extremity is she’s conscionable going to return power nan aforesaid measurement Cane sewage into trouble, and she’s conscionable going to conscionable push him speech and guidelines gangly and woody pinch it. But I deliberation she’s going to return control. She knows that she tin do it. And then, of course, we person nan Parkers [another crime family] who they’re now beholden to, and I deliberation there’s a full family location of absorbing people. We had one, [played by] Topher Grace, this year. I deliberation we’re going to person a fewer much adjacent year.

How did you onshore connected nan endings for nan remainder of nan Buckleys? Given that you put each of them successful threat this season, did you ever see sidesplitting immoderate of them off?

Well, we tin still do that! I wanted to play retired nan dynamics of nan family. I really emotion nan move betwixt Bree and Cane and really she sees him arsenic nan aureate boy, and he doesn’t consciousness for illustration a aureate boy astatine all. He sees his sister’s trouble, and now they person this 3rd related that has entered nan operation who’s benignant of perfect. He really walks successful nan doorway — smart, intelligent, pinch it each together — and nan only point incorrect pinch him is he’s surviving pinch immoderate condolences and he’s looking for a spot to belong. It’s like, really acold will he spell to person a family? I deliberation that’s going to beryllium Shawn’s [Rafael L. Silva] load adjacent season, which is, precisely really acold will he go? Can he go a Buckley — and a existent Buckley?

This show is simply a small spot astir nan sins of our father, and I wanted to put Bree connected nan correct way truthful that she could possibly person a full different constituent of position adjacent season. So I conscionable wanted to get to nan guidelines of her drama, which was what she witnessed [as a child, pinch nan sidesplitting of her paternal grandfather] and really [her family] conscionable ignored her alcoholism. So now, possibly she and her relative tin travel together and conflict a bigger enemy. I besides wanted to spot Cane and his wife, [Danielle Campbell’s] Peyton. She was nan 2nd choice, and she knows it. She knows she wasn’t nan first pick. And now, astatine nan extremity of nan season, she is wished to go nan first pick. So she’s joined this guy, she had a kid pinch him, and I deliberation now it’s clip to spot them autumn successful love. They’re doing it successful nan reverse way.

This show is almost surely going to tie comparisons to caller shows which person deed nan taste zeitgeist — “Ozark,” “Narcos,” possibly a small spot of “Succession.”

It’s not immoderate of those things. [Laughs.]

‘The Vampire Diaries’

Be that arsenic it may, group will still effort to fresh this bid into a circumstantial container aliases genre. As a creator and writer, moreover though nan inspiration for this show is highly personal, really cognizant are you astir creating thing that whitethorn person wide entreaty and that whitethorn pat into nan taste zeitgeist successful nan aforesaid way? Is that thing that you ever deliberation astir aliases that an executive has ever brought up to you?

I don’t deliberation of it possibly nan measurement that you conscionable expressed it — which was great, by nan way. I deliberation of it differently. I deliberation of what’s not connected tv correct now. What’s nan show that I want to see? And much importantly, what’s a show that I tin constitute that nary 1 other can? What’s a show that I could create that nary 1 other tin create? I deliberation I’m nan only personification who could person written that aviator book because I wrote it from a individual place. I wrote it from a spot of family. I understand nan [fishing] business. I cognize really it went belly up. And of course, a batch of writers came successful and helped pinch nan different episodes, and it was awesome. But I felt for illustration this is simply a world that nary 1 other was doing, truthful I chose to do it. I emotion returning to North Carolina, and I emotion conscionable surviving successful that landscape. It’s beautiful down there. It’s still afloat of truthful much, truthful I conscionable want to bring that to nan screen.

We’re only a fewer years distant from nan 30-year day of “Dawson’s Creek.” How person you seen nan business, and specifically nan scenery for TV, evolve?

It’s wholly different than erstwhile I first started, and I didn’t cognize really to make tv backmost then. I was conscionable thrust into it, and it was learn-as-you-go, but I loved it. “Dawson’s,” erstwhile again, was a very individual story, and nary 1 other was telling that story, truthful I wanted to show it. And nan aforesaid pinch “Scream” arsenic a movie. No 1 was making scary movies astatine that moment. So I said, “Alright, I want to make a scary movie that I want to see. I’ve seen each nan scary movies now. I want to make 1 that speaks to that.” And that’s really “Scream” came about. I deliberation you really conscionable person to look astir you and say, “What’s not there? What tin you bring to this world?”

Television has changed truthful much. We person streaming. There’s truthful galore ways everyone tin beryllium watching [content]. Part of maine conscionable loves it, and portion of maine is like, “Oh man, I wish we could spell back.” But you tin watch this hour-long play and go, “Oh, this is simply a family drama. I’ve seen a family drama, but it’s not rather for illustration this [other show].” But hopefully, there’s thing comfortable astir it; there’s immoderate comfortableness nutrient location for group to pat into, and they’ll conscionable beryllium backmost and bask nan 8 episodes and binge them and conscionable person a nosy time. That’s what I want. We unrecorded successful a really weird spot correct now. We’re successful a weird clip successful nan world, and I conscionable want group to beryllium backmost and bask thing for 8 hours. I binge everything, truthful I’m hoping it’s a very bingeable show. That’s what we were trying to make — and to entertain and person fun. Those were our goals.

I consciousness for illustration they were nan aforesaid goals 20 years agone erstwhile TV was successful a different world. They’re nan aforesaid ones now — and it’s not “Succession.” [Laughs.] This is simply a communicative astir nan Buckleys, and I emotion “Succession,” but I wouldn’t make that comparison. People would beryllium sadly disappointed. I’ve publication that comparison, and I’m like, “Oh no.” [Laughs.]

We besides conscionable passed nan 15-year day of “Vampire Diaries.” It’s truthful funny to maine successful retrospect that you and Julie Plec didn’t deliberation location would beryllium a request for much vampire contented aft “Twilight,” but present we are each these years later, and nan genre seems to beryllium en vogue much than ever.

You ne'er cognize what’s going to resonate. I wish I had a magic ball, but I don’t. I deliberation there’s ever room for a awesome vampire story. “Interview pinch nan Vampire” — that book came retired successful 1976, and now we’re seeing it arsenic a TV show. I watched Season 1, and I loved it. So I conjecture they are en vogue now, but I don’t know. I emotion genre. You’re asking personification who conscionable lives successful nan world of genre, truthful I’m ever going to beryllium up for a bully vampire story.

‘The Vampire Diaries’The CW

Why do you deliberation vampires person stood nan trial of time?

Vampires are conscionable acheronian and sexy and mysterious, and they unrecorded connected nan fringe of nine and travel retired of nan dark. I conscionable deliberation this thought that there’s this personification that could buss you aliases wound you — I mean, there’s this inherent allure to vampires successful their expertise to seduce and do everything, and they’re very dangerous. I conscionable deliberation they’re sexy. I deliberation they’re romantic. I deliberation they’re scary. They’re each those things. So if you pat into a awesome communicative pinch them, it’s ever fun.

“Vampire Diaries,” was, erstwhile again, different very, very individual story. It was maine dealing pinch personification who had died and I was successful condolences complete someone, and I sat down and wrote a communicative astir a dormant vampire and a woman who was dormant inside, and they brought each different backmost to life.

Out of curiosity, person you seen Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners”?

Yes, I have. [Smirks.]

And what did you think?

I really, really loved it. I thought it was awesome, and I loved nan small “Faculty” shout-out too. [Williamson penned nan screenplay for Robert Rodriguez’s 1998 sci-fi scary film, and Coogler cited nan movie arsenic 1 of his inspirations.]

You are nary alien to creating iconic emotion triangles — some connected “Dawson’s Creek” pinch Dawson-Joey-Pacey and “Vampire Diaries” pinch Damon-Elena-Stefan. What do you deliberation are nan keys to creating an epic emotion triangle?

Well, they each 3 person to beryllium winning; they each 3 person to beryllium heroes. You can’t person a villain successful nan bunch. That’s really I look astatine it. If you person a villain, past you’re going to cognize precisely who to guidelines for. I deliberation it was truthful easy to represent Damon arsenic nan bad one, and you wanted Elena to prime Stefan. But I deliberation we quickly divulged thing very, very individual astir Damon that made america recognize that possibly location is thing successful him that tin emotion and possibly emotion will prevention it. So we conscionable group it up wherever everyone has a emotion for nan triangle, but besides a want that if they don’t get who they want, if they don’t get their soulmate, if they don’t get nan personification they love, past it will wholly impact nan remainder of their life.

In “Vampire Diaries,” it was truthful awesome because everything was epic and nan stakes were truthful precocious each nan time, and we were conscionable turned up to a 10 each nan time. Our extremity was conscionable to make everything epic and past slow it down and astonishment nan assemblage each now and past pinch thing tender and sweet. That was different show wherever we wanted to beryllium shocking, truthful we’d termination personification successful nan mediate of something.

Neve Campbell successful ‘Scream’ (2021)screenshot/Paramount

You are successful nan mediate of doing post-production for “Scream 7,” which will halfway connected Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), and this is your first clip successful nan director’s chair since 1999’s “Teaching Mrs. Tingle.” Is it existent that Neve was responsible for convincing you to nonstop this sequel?

Yes! It was a Zoom, truthful she sewage to spot maine cry. [Laughs.] No, it was lovely. She called pinch nan studio, and she wanted to beryllium nan 1 to inquire maine to do it. I deliberation someway location were each nan conversations that were had without me, and past they Zoomed maine and asked me, and it was awesome.

What person you made of nan acquisition of returning to “Scream,” and really are you looking to respire caller life into nan franchise? [Williamson agreed to nonstop amid a play of upheaval following nan departures of stars Melissa Barrera and Jenna Ortega.]

I don’t know. [Imitates nan motion emoji.] Look, we had a blast doing it. It was a awesome time. I ne'er really near nan franchise. I was ever location connected nan sidelines [as an executive producer] passim it all, and nan logic I stepped distant was chiefly Wes [Craven], because I was like, “Our clip has passed. How tin I make a ‘Scream’ without Wes?” I wasn’t going to beryllium a portion of immoderate of it, and past I realized I didn’t want location to beryllium a “Scream” made without me, truthful I stayed progressive and I’m really gladsome I did. The aforesaid measurement Wes created a family, I deliberation this group of group person created a family, and it’s been rather awesome to beryllium a portion of it.

I can’t really talk astir it without giving worldly away, but I did spell down a roadworthy that has ne'er been gone down before, I think… [Pauses.] No, that’s not true. Nevermind. That’s a lie! [Laughs.] It’s “Scream 7.” I did everything I could to make it consciousness caller and fresh, truthful we’ll spot what happens.

All episodes of “The Waterfront” are now streaming connected Netflix.