James Van Der Beek Portrays a Dark Pastor in His Latest Role in ‘The Gates’ Trailer
Fans are mourning the loss of actor James Van Der Beek, whose final film role will soon be featured in theaters.
The thriller The Gates is set to premiere on March 13 through Lionsgate Premiere. In this film, Van Der Beek portrays Pastor Jacob, a murderer pursuing three young Black men who witness his crime. As he closes in on them, the local community turns against the trio.
Directed and written by John Burr, the R-rated film also stars Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers.
“We were incredibly fortunate to have worked with him on this film. He brought experience and perspective to the role and built profound relationships with his fellow cast members and the crew,” Burr stated. “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.”
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James Van Der Beek as Jacob in ‘The Gates’
Burr reflected on his recent communications with Van Der Beek, noting, “His words were filled with energy and punctuated with exclamation points even as his health must have been in decline.”
In addition to his role in The Gates, Van Der Beek is set to appear in the upcoming Prime Video series Elle, a prequel to Legally Blonde, scheduled to premiere on July 1. He will portray Dean Wilson, the new mayoral candidate and current superintendent of the school district.
