25 Years Later, James Van Der Beek’s 90-Minute Western Flop Finally Finds Streaming Redemption

by

The 2001 action Western Texas Rangers, starring James Van Der Beek, wasn’t successful when it first came out. However, thanks to recent online attention, the film is now gaining a new following after being largely unseen in theaters 25 years ago.

Surprisingly, the movie Texas Rangers has climbed into the Top 10 most-watched films on Paramount+, currently sitting at No. 6 (according to FlixPatrol). This streaming success comes 25 years after the film performed poorly in theaters, earning less than $764,000 despite a $38 million budget. It’s also worth noting that Texas Rangers received a very low 2% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Texas Rangers Was Loosely Inspired by True Events

Set ten years after the Civil War, Texas Rangers follows Lincoln Rogers Dunnison (Van Der Beek) as he joins Captain Leander McNelly (Dylan McDermott) and his team. Together, they work to stop dangerous outlaw gangs who are causing trouble along the Texas-Mexico border. The series is based on the true story of the McNelly Rangers and is inspired by George Durham’s book, Taming the Nueces Strip.

The film was directed by Steve Miner, known for horror movies like Friday the 13th Part II & III and Halloween H20. Scott Busby, Martin Copeland, and John Milius co-wrote the script. The Western, celebrating its 25th anniversary, stars James Van Der Beek and Dermot McDermott, alongside a talented cast including Rachael Leigh Cook (She’s All That), Ashton Kutcher (That ’70s Show), Usher Raymond (The Faculty), Alfred Molina (Spider-Man: No Way Home), Robert Patrick (T2: Judgment Day), Tom Skerritt (Alien), and country music star Randy Travis.

James Van Der Beek Passed Away in February

The recent interest in some of Van Der Beek’s older films may be due to fans revisiting his work after his sad death earlier this year. He passed away on February 11th following a battle with cancer. While the 2001 movie Texas Rangers wasn’t a hit in theaters, it’s still remembered as one of his significant roles. He first became famous starring in Dawson’s Creek, and also appeared in films like Varsity Blues and Labor Day. Shortly after his passing, he was featured in the thriller The Gates.

On Paramount+, Tom Cruise’s Top Gun: Maverick is currently the most popular movie. The top five also includes the horror films Slanted and Primate, the animated movie The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, and the drama An Unfinished Life, all ranking just ahead of Texas Rangers.

Texas Rangers is streaming on Prime Video.

Read More

2026-05-21 01:08