Fans of James Van Der Beek reacted with emotion to a new trailer for the upcoming suspense thriller, The Gates, which revealed one of the late actor’s last performances. The trailer was released on Wednesday.
It’s with a heavy heart that I share the news of the passing of a familiar face, best known from Dawson’s Creek. He lost his battle with stage three colorectal cancer on February 11th, at just 48 years old. His family shared the sad news with his fans on social media, and we’re all sending them our love and support during this difficult time.
James Van Der Beek played the role of a villainous pastor in an upcoming thriller, which was one of his final projects in Hollywood.
The trailer began with Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers playing a group of friends heading out for the night. They decided to cut through a private neighborhood to bypass traffic on the highway.
Soon after, the three friends see Jacob commit a murder, turning their fun trip into a dangerous chase as they try to get away.
The friends were shown relaxing in the living room of a neighborhood resident, portrayed by Brad Leland.
Once the group finished explaining their frightening situation and letting Leland know they needed help, he revealed, ‘That’s Jacob – he’s my pastor.’
He then drew a gun, seemingly to verify their claims, which they insisted were true.
The scene shifted to Van Der Beek, who said in a voiceover, ‘I’ve been asked to lead this community.’
The actor, now deceased, was then shown talking to Leland, passionately declaring, ‘Those boys are trying to ruin us.’
Hiding outside, one friend urged, “We need to reach the police before he does!” Another quickly added, “No one will believe us out here!”
While searching for the group inside the secure community, Van Der Beek narrated, ‘Within these walls, I have control – I’m like a god.’
The trailer ended with Van Der Beek sitting in a chair, seemingly injured with fake blood on his face, and holding a gun.
One of his friends claimed to have spotted him, but Van Der Beek coldly responded, ‘You haven’t seen me. You’ve seen the consequences of crossing me.’
One penned, ‘Sad to think this is probably James Van Der Beek’s final performance ever. R.I.P.’
Okay, seriously, I’m only here for James Van Der Beek. It’s just… Dawson is gone, you know? R.I.P. to Dawson Leery, my childhood! But seeing James on screen again? Totally worth it.
Okay, social media is a whirlwind right now! I’m seeing so much excitement about James Van Der Beek taking on a villain role – honestly, that’s amazing! But there’s also a lot of confusion, because people are mistakenly thinking something happened to him. Let me assure everyone, James is absolutely fine! These posts are a mix of anticipation for the movie and some really unfortunate misunderstandings. It’s great to see the enthusiasm, but let’s all send some clarity and good vibes his way!
People reacted strongly to it, with one saying it was surprisingly wild and captivating. Another compared it to a blend of the horror movie ‘Scream’ and the teen drama ‘Dawson’s Creek’.
On X, fans reacted to the news, with one writing that it was upsetting to see Jo Van den Berg leave so quickly, but the trailer looked promising.
Someone shared their grief online, writing, ‘My heart aches… he left us with a film that really frightened me. I loved him dearly. Rest in peace, The Beek.’
In the movie The Gates, a fun road trip takes a dark turn for three friends when they accidentally see a murder happening inside a private, gated neighborhood.
According to IMDB, a family is confined and pursued by angry locals who hold them responsible for something, causing their relationships to fall apart as a powerful and dangerous father figure draws near.
Film director John Burr shared his thoughts with Deadline about the experience of collaborating with Van Der Beek.
‘Before all else, I want to send sympathy and love to James’ family; his wife, Kimberly, and his children, Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah. Thank you for granting us the precious time with him that we had,’ he began.
As someone who’s spent a lot of time on sets, I can tell you everyone involved – the cast and crew – felt incredibly lucky to have worked with the late star. It was a truly special experience for all of us.
He was a valuable addition to the team, bringing both knowledge and a broad outlook to his work. He also formed strong, meaningful connections with everyone he worked with – the actors and the crew alike.
Oh my gosh, the director was talking about James Van Der Beek, and it was fascinating! He said that watching James become his character was incredible, because James himself is so different off-camera. It was like a total transformation – he’d be one person on set, then completely become someone else! It’s just… mind-blowing to think about how much he disappears into the role. I’m obsessed with how dedicated he is!
He fully committed to playing the story’s villain – a character who was deeply flawed and lacked morals. But as soon as filming stopped, he easily became the warm, friendly person he naturally was.
Burr mentioned recent conversations with Van Der Beek, noting that even as his health worsened, the actor’s messages were surprisingly energetic and full of excitement, often using lots of exclamation points.
Trenton Rostedt, who doubled for James Van Der Beek in the movie The Gates, recently told the Daily Mail that the actor didn’t show any signs of being unwell while they were filming together.
It seems the actor was actually doing well with his illness while filming the thriller in October 2024.
Rostedt told the Daily Mail that the person had initially lost weight and become very thin, but their condition seemed to be improving for a while.
The stunt double said Van Der Beek didn’t appear ill and was still pleasant and in good spirits.
He also remembered the actor was following a diet to stay in shape and maintain his health.
Rostedt mentioned he thought Van Der Beek had received some medical care before filming and was on the mend. He also said the actor never suggested ‘The Gates’ would be his last movie.
‘He didn’t say he was done,’ Rostedt said.
The actor, who recently passed away, also played Dean Wilson in the upcoming Legally Blonde prequel series, Elle. He filmed his scenes for the role in May of last year. Dean Wilson is a character who is both a candidate for mayor and a school superintendent.
The Amazon Prime Video series is set to release on the streaming site on July 1, 2026.
As a lifestyle observer, I remember when James Van Der Beek was Dawson Leery! He really became a household name playing that iconic character on Dawson’s Creek. It’s hard to believe it ran for six seasons, from 1998 all the way to 2003 – that show was a huge part of the late 90s and early 2000s!
He shared the screen with stars like Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Busy Philipps, Chad Michael Murray, and Michelle Williams.
Throughout his Hollywood career, Van Der Beek appeared in several other popular projects, such as the films Varsity Blues (1999) and The Rules of Attraction (2002), as well as the TV show How I Met Your Mother.
Van Der Beek passed away last Wednesday at the age of 48, his family announced on social media.
We are heartbroken to share that James David Van Der Beek passed away peacefully this morning. He faced his final days with courage, faith, and dignity.
We have many cherished memories of his kindness, his deep care for others, and his appreciation for every moment. We will share more about that later. Right now, we kindly request privacy and peace as we mourn the loss of our beloved husband, father, son, brother, and friend.
He is remembered by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia (15), Joshua (13), Annabel (12), Emilia (9), Gwendolyn (7), and Jeremiah (4).
Van Der Beek had announced his stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024.
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2026-02-19 01:35