James Van Der Beek continued to work until his death on Feb. 11 at the age of 48. He played a college dean for the upcoming television series Elle, the prequel to Legally Blonde. He also had a feature film in the works.
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Now, a week after his death, the trailer for The Gates has debuted. In the film, Van Der Beek plays Jacob, a pastor hunting down the three witnesses to the murder his character commits.
If you're familiar with the 1993 thriller Judgement Night, you can see the similarities between it and Van Der Beek's film. But in a twist, this thriller is not set in the Cabrini Green neighborhood of Chicago. Rather, it takes place in an affluent gated community.
This New Role Seemed Like a Departure for James Van Der Beek
While Van Der Beek played an unsavory college student in the teen drama The Rules of Attraction, his role in The Gates seems to be his first attempt at playing a true villain.
"I have been called upon to lead this community, and those boys seek to destroy us," his character exclaims. "Find them, and let God's will be done." At the end of the trailer, he is shown holding the protagonists at gunpoint, adding, "You've seen what happens when people get in my way."
For over three decades, Van Der Beek was a star on both the small and big screen. In addition to his breakthrough as Dawson Leery in the teen drama Dawson's Creek, he played the lead in the football drama Varsity Blues and had a small role in Labor Day.
He also wasn't afraid to be in on the joke. He has played versions of himself that mocked his teenage heartthrob image in both Don't Trust the B**** in Apartment 23 and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back.
The actor had been battling colorectal cancer for several years. He left behind his wife of 16 years, Kimberly, and six children, ages 4 through 15. As we reported last week, friends of Van Der Beek created a GoFundMe to support his family. It has now raised over $2.5 million.
You can watch the trailer for The Gates below.
