Watch the Trailer for James Van Der Beek’s Final Film ‘The Gates’

James Van Der Beek’s last on-screen performance will be in the upcoming thriller, The Gates. He plays a creepy pastor hiding a disturbing secret, as shown in the film’s trailer.

In the thriller The Gates, three friends on a road trip accidentally witness a murder in a gated community. When the residents become wary of them, the friends find themselves fighting for their lives as a powerful and popular church leader, played by Van Der Beek, begins to pursue them, believing they know too much about the crime.

In the trailer, Van Der Beek’s character, a pastor, issues a strong warning. He says he’s been chosen to lead the community, but some young men are trying to undermine him, and hints at consequences for anyone who opposes him.

The movie The Gates is one of the last films to feature the late actor. Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers also appear in the movie, which will be released in theaters on March 13, 2026.

Watch the newly released trailer for The Gates, below:

Actor Jonathan Van Der Beek passed away last Wednesday, February 11th, at the age of 48, after battling colon cancer. He was diagnosed with stage 3 colorectal cancer in 2023. He is remembered by his wife, Kimberly, and their six children: Olivia, Annabel, Emilia, Gwendolyn, Joshua, and Jeremiah.

James Van Der Beek is most famous for playing the troubled teenager Dawson Leery in the popular ‘90s show Dawson’s Creek. He’s also been a guest star on many other television series, including Ugly Betty, Criminal Minds, Clarissa Explains It All, One Tree Hill, and How I Met Your Mother.

Some of his major feature films include Varsity Blues, Downsizing, and Scary Movie.

I’m such a fan of both Van Der Beek and Legally Blonde, so I was really surprised and excited to hear he filmed scenes as Dean Wilson for the new Elle series! It’s amazing they’ll be able to include him, even though it will be a posthumous appearance. I’ve already marked July 1, 2026, on my calendar – I can’t wait to see it!

TV Shows We Used to Love That Are Cringe Now

The West Wing (1999-2006)

When discussions turn to classic TV shows that haven’t aged well, The West Wing often comes up. It’s not that the show was bad, or had terrible storylines, or forced awkward lines on its actors (though sometimes it did). The problem is that The West Wing presented an idealized, rather than realistic, vision of government. Its optimistic and virtuous portrayal of politics feels out of touch with the way things are today. The show depicted an America led by incredibly smart and ethical leaders who always did the right thing, or faced consequences if they didn’t. But that’s simply not how the world works, and watching that now feels unfulfilling instead of comforting. (And let’s not even talk about The Newsroom.)

Entourage (2004-2011)

It’s hard to believe Entourage even got made, let alone lasted as long as it did. The show, about a moderately successful actor and his friends living in Los Angeles, seems simple enough, but it appeared during a very specific time – the late 2000s – when culture was changing rapidly. What was presented as the ideal of masculinity in 2004 – Vinny Chase and his crew – now just comes across as irritating. To say the show’s portrayal of relationships is outdated would be a massive understatement. It’s still somewhat enjoyable to watch as a glimpse into the past, but barely.

Supernatural (2005-2020)

Was Supernatural always unintentionally awkward, or did that happen over time? The show started as a lighthearted adventure about monster hunting, complete with a great rock soundtrack and a playful take on religious stories. But it went on for far too long, lasting about four or five seasons past its prime. Eventually, the yearly storylines about preventing the apocalypse all felt the same, characters repeatedly died and came back to life, and the relationships between the main characters became tiresome. Even in its final episodes, the show managed to disappoint fans by handling a popular romantic pairing in a way they considered prejudiced. It was quite a journey, though!

The Secret Life of the American Teenager (2008-2013)

Let’s be honest, ABC’s teen drama The Secret Life of the American Teenager was always a bit awkward, but it was surprisingly popular. Despite its title sounding like a warning from the 1970s, the show didn’t offer much new insight. It turned out to be a pretty typical high school drama with fairly traditional views on teen pregnancy – the message was basically to keep the baby, get married, and start a family. The writing was so cringeworthy that you can easily find tons of embarrassing clips online, including one particularly bad exchange.

Glee (2009-2015)

Like a train wreck you can’t look away from, Glee was a show that often felt painfully awkward, teetering between truly terrible and strangely entertaining. It fully embraced a “you won’t believe this is happening” kind of storytelling, which is a signature of creator Ryan Murphy’s work. While Secret Life was too cautious to be interesting, Glee was wildly excessive, with increasingly bizarre storylines. The characters were strangely one-dimensional yet overly complicated, and its covers of popular songs were often unpleasant to listen to. The show’s infamous cover of “Blurred Lines,” performed by teachers, is just one example of its many questionable choices.

Sherlock (2010-2017)

Sherlock experienced a dramatic shift in audience opinion, ranging from intense love to strong dislike, for several reasons. It initially became incredibly popular, launching Benedict Cumberbatch to international fame, and its clever updating of classic stories appealed to viewers seeking a more imaginative mystery series. However, with only a few long episodes released infrequently, the show became overly ambitious. Many fans who enjoyed the early seasons lost interest by the time the later seasons aired. Most viewers recall a specific point where the show’s once-brilliant creativity began to decline.

Game of Thrones (2011-2019)

Like many shows, Game of Thrones started strong but ended poorly, losing its appeal before the final season even aired. While it remained a good – even great – show for a while, the quality declined sharply after a certain point. The show was always demanding, asking viewers to keep track of fictional places and characters while juggling complex storylines. This became exhausting, especially as the series neared its conclusion and began unexpectedly killing off beloved characters. Now, when someone claims to be a fan, they usually add “of the earlier seasons” to avoid arguments – it’s become a sensitive topic!

House of Cards (2013-2018)

It’s tempting to dismiss House of Cards now that its star is no longer involved, but the show wasn’t particularly strong even before. As one of Netflix’s earliest big hits, it was promoted as a smart, intense political drama – a darker version of The West Wing – following a ruthless congressman and his wife as they climbed the political ladder through manipulation and deceit. While the show’s direct address to the audience felt fresh initially, the increasingly predictable twists in each season lost their impact. Ultimately, most viewers stopped watching, especially after the show struggled to deal with the controversy surrounding its lead actor.

Orange Is the New Black (2013-2019)

Like House of Cards, interest in Orange Is the New Black started to decline well before its finale. The show began strongly as a unique prison drama with a diverse cast and complex storylines that seemed to promise many exciting seasons. However, a major flaw emerged: the show consistently focused on its least compelling character. This was especially true for the main character, who even devoted fans found boring, yet received the most screen time. After a few seasons of this, viewers began to question the show’s direction, and it now serves as a prime example of how not to plan future seasons of a popular series.

The Mandalorian (2019-2023)

The success of The Mandalorian may have ironically damaged the reputation of the Volume—the innovative video wall soundstage that allowed for real-time integration of digital backgrounds and camera movement. While the first season presented a stylish, Star Wars Western about a solitary bounty hunter, later seasons lost focus, prioritizing unnecessary backstory over compelling storytelling. This resulted in underwhelming visual effects and scenery that failed to showcase the potential of the groundbreaking technology. By the show’s final season, viewership had significantly declined, a disappointing outcome for what initially seemed like a brilliant concept.

2026-02-19 02:27