Fans are getting one last glimpse of James Van Der Beek on screen.
The late actor, who died February 11 at 48 after battling colorectal cancer, delivers his final film performance in the upcoming thriller The Gates – and it’s not exactly Dawson Leery.
In the newly released trailer, Van Der Beek plays a menacing pastor named Jacob, leading a gated community with a chilling warning: “I have been called upon to lead this community, and those boys seek to destroy us. Find them, and let God’s will be done.”
Later, holding three characters at gunpoint, he added: “You’ve seen what happens when people get in my way.”
Directed by John Burr and set for a March 13 theatrical release, the film follows three friends who witness a murder and become targets of Jacob and his tight-lipped neighbours. The cast includes Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, Keith Powers and Brad Leland.
Van Der Beek famously rose to stardom as Dawson Leery on Dawson’s Creek and later appeared in films like Varsity Blues and The Rules of Attraction.
After the trailer dropped, tributes poured in. One fan wrote, “Sad to think this is probably James Van Der Beek’s final performance ever. R.I.P.” Another added: “I’m watching this for James Van Der Beek. R.I.P, Dawson.”
Following his death, a GoFundMe launched for his wife Kimberly and their six children has raised nearly $2million.
