Moviegoers can now take a look at James Van Der Beek’s performance in “The Gates,” one of his latest big screen projects, through a new trailer.

Directed by John Burr, “The Gates” follows college friends Derek, Kevin and Tyon (played by Mason Gooding, Algee Smith and Keith Powers, respectively) who embark on a road trip, only to find themselves witnessing a murder after attempting to take a shortcut through a gated community.

Van Der Beek plays Jacob, a local pastor with direct ties to crime but whose sanctified status within the community prevents him from being considered a suspect.

Watch the trailer for “The Gates” below.

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An online fundraiser aimed at supporting the deceased”Dawson’s Creek” The actor’s family has raised more than $2.6 million despite negative reactions.

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“The Gates” will hit theaters on March 13. The film’s trailer was released on Wednesday, exactly one week after Van Der Beek died of colorectal cancer at age 48.

Burr, whose credits include 2017’s “Muse” and the 2013 TV movie “Boots,” told Entertainment Weekly that he and his creative team felt “incredibly lucky” to have worked with the actor on the horror film.

“He brought experience and perspective to the role, and built deep relationships with his co-stars and crew,” he said. “And while he was deeply dedicated to his performance as the amoral, flawed antagonist of our story, between scenes he effortlessly transformed into the charming, no-nonsense conversationalist he was at his core.”

Van Der Beek had completed work on “The Gates” before going public with his cancer diagnosis in November 2024.

James Van Der Beek's latest performances include the horror film.
James Van Der Beek’s latest performances include the horror film “The Gates,” out March 13, and the “Legally Blonde” prequel series “Elle.”

Variety via Getty Images

“None of us knew he was already deep in his battle, and we were all surprised to find out with the rest of the world about his diagnosis,” Burr told EW, noting that he and Van Der Beek had continued to exchange regular text messages over the past few months. “His words were full of energy and punctuated with exclamation points even when his health must have worsened.”

While “The Gates” may mark one of Van Der Beek’s final film projects, fans can expect to see more of his work on the small screen later this year. On July 1, she will appear in Amazon Prime Video’s “Elle,” the prequel series to “Legally Blonde” that is executive produced by Reese Witherspoon.

Speaking to Variety last week, Witherspoon described Van Der Beek as “a man of high character and high values,” noting: “He brought that to the daily work on set with our young cast. They just adored him.”