James Van Der Beek fans were left emotional as one of the late actor's final roles was teased in a new suspenseful trailer for The Gates which dropped on Wednesday.
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The Dawson's Creek alum passed away at the age of 48 on February 11 following a battle with stage three colorectal cancer, with his death confirmed by his loved ones on social media.
Van Der Beek had portrayed the antagonist of a villainous pastor in the forthcoming thriller - and was one of his last Hollywood projects.
The film is set to release in select theaters on March 13.
The trailer kicked off with Mason Gooding, Algee Smith and Keith Powers taking on roles as a group of friends embarking on a night out, but took a detour into a gated neighborhood to avoid highway traffic.
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However, the trio soon witness a murder done by Van Der Beek's character of Jacob - which prompts a cat and mouse hunt throughout the teaser as the group tries to escape.
James Van Der Beek fans were left emotional as one of the late actor's final roles was teased in a new suspenseful trailer for The Gates which dropped on Wednesday
Van Der Beek had portrayed the antagonist of a villainous pastor in the forthcoming thriller - and was one of his last Hollywood projects
At one point, the friends could be seen sitting inside a living room of one of the residents of the neighborhood, played by Brad Leland.
After the group explained their terrifying circumstance and shared they are in trouble, Leland told them, 'That is Jacob, my pastor.'
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He then pulled out a gun before confirming that they are actually telling the truth, which they swore they were.
The clip jumped to Van Der Beek as well as his voice over saying, 'I have been called upon to lead this community.'
The late star then could be seen having a conversation with Leland as he dramatically expressed, 'Those boys seek to destroy us.'
While hiding outside, one friend said, 'We have to get to the police before that guy does,' while another frantically chimed in with, 'They're not gonna believe us in a place like this!'
As he tried to track down the group within the gated community, Van Der Beek's voice over added, 'You understand now inside these gates, I'm God.'
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The trailer concluded with Van Der Beek sitting in a chair with fake blood splattered on his face while holding a gun.
The trailer kicked off with Mason Gooding, Algee Smith and Keith Powers taking on roles as a group of friends embarking on a night out, but took a detour into a gated neighborhood to avoid highway traffic
However, the trio soon witness a murder done by Van Der Beek's character of Jacob - which prompts a cat and mouse hunt throughout the teaser as the group tries to escape
At one point, the friends could be seen sitting inside a living room of one of the residents of the neighborhood, played by Brad Leland
After the group explained their terrifying circumstance and shared they are in trouble, Leland told them, 'That is Jacob, my pastor'
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The clip jumped to Van Der Beek as well as his voice over saying, 'I have been called upon to lead this community'
The late star then could be seen having a conversation with Leland as he dramatically expressed, 'Those boys seek to destroy us'
While hiding outside, one friend said, 'We have to get to the police before that guy does,' while another frantically chimed in with, 'They're not gonna believe us in a place like this!'
As he tried to track down the group within the gated community, Van Der Beek's voice over added, 'You understand now inside these gates, I'm God'
The trailer concluded with Van Der Beek sitting in a chair with fake blood splattered on his face while holding a gun
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One of the friends told him, 'I saw you!' which caused Van Der Beek to simply reply with, 'No. You've seen what happens when people get in my way.'
Fans jumped to the comment section of the trailer which was shared by Lionsgate on Wednesday as they reflected on one of his last roles.
One penned, 'Sad to think this is probably James Van Der Beek's final performance ever. R.I.P.'
Another wrote, 'I'm watching this for James Van Der Beek. R.I.P, Dawson,' referencing to Van Der Beek's past character of Dawson Leery in Dawson's Creek.
'James Van Der Beek you will be missed. He's playing the villain in this movie. Sign me up!' a fan shared, and one said, 'Can't wait to see this Rest in peace James Van Der Beek.'
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Another typed, 'This actually looks so crazy, twist turning and good that had me like [surprised face emoji],' and one added, 'SCREAM meets DAWSONS CREEK.'
Over on X, other fans shared their thoughts with one penning, 'It's sad seeing JVDB so soon but the trailer looks good.
And another wrote, 'God my heart... he left us with a scary movie. I love him so much. Rip The Beek.'
One of the friends told him, 'I saw you!' which caused Van Der Beek to simply reply with, 'No. You've seen what happens when people get in my way'
Fans jumped to the comment section of the trailer which was shared by Lionsgate on Wednesday as they reflected on one of his last roles
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The premise of The Gates is: 'Three friends' road trip turns terrifying when they witness a murder in a gated community.
'Trapped inside, hunted by residents who blame them, their bond fractures as a charismatic yet sinister patriarch closes in,' per IMDB.
John Burr - the director of the film - issued a statement to Deadline as he reflected on having the opportunity to work 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.
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Burr also expressed that both the cast and crew had been 'fortunate' to collaborate with the late star.
'He brought experience and perspective to the role, and he built profound relationships with his fellow cast members and with the crew.'
The filmmaker further opened up about Van Der Beek's performance and how the character vastly differed from the actor's personality in between takes.
'And while he was deeply dedicated to his performance as the flawed, amoral antagonist of our story, between scenes he effortlessly morphed back into the grounded, charming conversationalist he was at his core.'
Burr also expressed that both the cast and crew had been 'fortunate' to collaborate with the late star
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The filmmaker further opened up about Van Der Beek's performance and how the character vastly differed from the actor's personality in between takes
Trenton Rostedt - Van Der Beek's stunt double on The Gates - opened up to the Daily Mail last week on working with the actor and shared how he had shown no signs of his illness on set; Van Der Beek seen in 2024 in L.A.
Burr later talked about message exchanges he had with Van Der Beek in recent months, saying the actor's 'words were filled with energy and punctuated with exclamation points even as his health must have been in decline.'
Trenton Rostedt - Van Der Beek's stunt double on The Gates - opened up to the Daily Mail last week on working with the actor and shared how he had shown no signs of his illness on set.
It also appeared that the late actor had been in remission while filming the thriller in October 2024.
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Rostedt told the Daily Mail that it 'seemed like he was getting pretty lean and skinny, but had come into what felt like a bit of a remission.'
The stunt double added that Van Der Beek 'didn't seem sickly' and was also 'still friendly and [had a] good disposition.'
He further recalled that the late actor had been undergoing a specific diet 'keep things lean and healthy.'
Rostedt added that he believed Van Der Beek 'had some treatments before [filming] and was recovering' while also noting that the star did not give any hints that The Gates would be his final role.
'He didn't say he was done,' Rostedt said.
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The late actor had taken on the role of Dean Wilson - a mayoral candidate and school district superintendent - in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle; seen in 2020
Last week on Wednesday, Van Der Beek's family confirmed his death at age 48 with a post on social media
The late actor had also taken on the role of Dean Wilson - a mayoral candidate and school district superintendent - in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle. He had filmed scenes for the supporting role last year in May.
The Amazon Prime Video series is set to release on the streaming site on July 1, 2026.
Van Der Beek was also known for portraying the character of Dawson Leery on the hit series Dawson's Creek for six seasons from 1998-2003.
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He had worked alongside Katie Holmes, Joshua Jackson, Busy Philipps, Chad Michael Murray and Michelle Williams.
Van Der Beek starred in other projects throughout his career in Hollywood including Varsity Blues (1999), The Rules Of Attraction (2002) and How I Met Your Mother.
Last week on Wednesday, Van Der Beek's family confirmed his death at age 48 with a post on social media.
He is survived by wife Kimberly as well as their six children: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, Gwendolyn, seven, and Jeremiah, four
Van Der Beek had announced his stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024
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It read, 'Our beloved James David Van Der Beek passed peacefully this morning. He met his final days with courage, faith, and grace.
'There is much to share regarding his wishes, love for humanity and the sacredness of time. Those days will come. For now we ask for peaceful privacy as we grieve our loving husband, father, son, brother, and friend.'
He is survived by wife Kimberly as well as their six children: Olivia, 15, Joshua, 13, Annabel, 12, Emilia, nine, Gwendolyn, seven, and Jeremiah, four.
Van Der Beek had announced his stage three colorectal cancer diagnosis in November 2024.