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's death at 48 on Wednesday marked the latest member of the cast of the 1999 football drama Varsity Blues to pass away prematurely, prompting a number of people online to speculate about the tragic trend.
'That movie is definitely cursed,' one user said, another added, 'Varsity Blues cast seems cursed,' and another asked, 'So 3 out of the 5 main cast members from Varsity Blues all passed away under 50?'
The motion picture, which arrived in theaters in January of 1999, cast Van Der Beek as Jon Moxon, a backup high school quarterback in a crazed West football town.
Moxon takes over the starting job after starter Lance Harbor, played by the late , suffers a major injury during a game when offensive lineman Billy Bob (played by the late Ron Lester) collapses on the field due to overwork.
The storyline of the film focused on Moxon as he butted heads with villainous Coach Bud Kilmer (Jon Voight), who disregarded the health of the players for his own personal gain.
The film, made by MTV, earned more than $54 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo, and , Amy Smart, Scott Caan and .
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Daily Mail is taking a look at the tragic trend of premature deaths linked with the movie, with Van Der Beek the latest cast member to die at a relatively young age.
Daily Mail is taking a look at a tragic trend of premature deaths in the cast of 1999's Varsity Blues, with James Van Der Beek the latest to die at a relatively young age.
(Clockwise from bottom center) James Van Der Beek, Amy Smart, Eliel Swinton, Paul Walker, Ali Larter, Ron Lester and Scott Caan seen in a promotional shot for the film
James Van Der Beek
Van Der Beek was cast in the leading role of Moxon in the late 90s, at the height of his Dawson’s Creek fame.
In the film, Van Der Beek played Jon Moxon, a backup high school quarterback in a crazed West Texas football town
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Moxon takes over the starting job and turns heads with his unexpected high level of play
Van Der Beek sold autographed football jerseys of his character from the film in commemoration of its 25th anniversary, to raise money for costly cancer treatments
Paul Walker
Paul Walker in the film played Lance Harbor, the incumbent quarterback who is badly hurt as a result of Coach Kilmer's recklessness in playing him and others through injuries.
Paul Walker in the film played Lance Harbor, the incumbent quarterback who is badly hurt as a result of Coach Bud Kilmer's recklessness in playing him and others through injuries
Van Der Beek called Walker 'so effortlessly golden' in a social media post remembering the late actor following his death in a November 2013 car accident
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Walker at the January 1999 premiere of the film Paramount Studios in Hollywood, California; and at a London premiere six months prior to his shock passing
Ron Lester
