Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, Keith Powers, And James Van Der Beek Star In Lionsgate Thriller 'The Gates'

Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, and Keith Powers lead the cast of the upcoming psychological thriller The Gates, alongside James Van Der Beek in a chilling and commanding role. Presented by Lionsgate, the film will debut in theaters nationwide on March 13, 2026.

The Gates is Burr’s second feature, following his debut, the supernatural thriller Muse. The Gates follows three college students— Derek, Kevin, and Tyon (Gooding, Smith, and Powers) on a road trip gone wrong, as the three young men take an ill-advised shortcut through a remote gated community, where they find themselves trapped behind the walls after witnessing a murder. Over the course of the night, they find themselves blamed, hunted, and fractured by their own differing belief systems, while the perpetrator—James Van Der Beek, at his most charming and terrifying—emerges as the cunning patriarch that holds the entire community under his influence.

The film is written and directed by John Burr and produced by Nancy Leopardi, Ross Kohn, and Gary Glushon. The Gates is an Indy Entertainment and Core 4 Films production, presented by Lionsgate, in association with Rebellium Films.