James Van Der Beek Stars as an Evil Pastor in ‘The Gates’ Trailer, One of His Final Films

This summer, he'll also appear in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle, where he'll play a high school dean I Don't Wanna Wait James Van Der Beek Stars as an Evil Pastor in ‘The Gates’ Trailer, One of His Final Films This summer, he'll also appear in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle, where he'll play a high school dean By Andy Greene Andy Greene Who Will Be Next to Headline the Sphere? We Make Our Educated Guess U2 Are Recording a ‘Defiantly Joyful’ Album with Larry Mullen Jr. Back on Drums U2 Surprise-Drop Politically Charged ‘Days of Ash’ EP With Six New Songs View all posts by Andy Greene February 18, 2026 James Van Der Beek youtube/lionsgate In the final years of James Van Der Beek’s life, he bravely battled colorectal cancer while doing whatever he could to keep his large family financially afloat. That included accepting roles in projects like the upcoming thriller The Gates, which just dropped a new trailer. The movie stars Mason Gooding, Alger Smith, and Keith Powers as three friends who take a diversion while on a road trip and wind up witnessing a murder in a mansion. Van Der Beek plays an evil church leader who attempts to track them down and kill them. “I have been called upon to lead this community, and those boys seek to destroy us,” he says. “You’ve seen what happens when people get in my way.” The Gates is hitting theaters on March 13. Van Der Beek’s career peaked in the late 1990s and early 2000s when he starred on Dawson’s Creek and acted in movies like Varsity Blues and Rules of Attraction. In more recent years, he appeared on Dancing With the Stars and The Masked Singer, and acted in under-the-radar films like Bad Hair and Sidelined: The QB and Me. Shortly before his death, Van Der Beek renewed his wedding vows with his wife, Kimberly. “We decided two days beforehand and our friends got us new rings, filled our bedroom with flowers and candles and we renewed our vows from bed,” Kimberly told People. “[It was] simple and beautiful and moving.” Trending Stories Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Announce ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ U.S. Tour