Exclusive: THE GATES Writer / Director John Burr Reflects On the Film’s Development and Production

Coming to theaters this Friday, March 13th, is The Gates, written and directed by John Burr. Starring Mason Gooding, Algee Smith, Keith Powers, and James Van Der Beek, this "tense, socially charged thriller follows three college friends whose road trip spirals into terror after they witness a murder inside an exclusive gated community". Ahead of the film's release, Burr shared his thoughts on the inspiration behind the film, casting, and production of The Gates:

"The Gates was born out of a lifelong passion for genre movies and an adolescent urge to share my experience as a mixed kid growing up in Texas in the 90's. But it wasn't until the Spring of 2020, at the height of Covid isolation, that inspiration hit -- in the middle of listening to one of my favorite movie podcasts. In the absence of new movies hitting theaters, Dave, Devindra and Jeff of the Filmcast were revisiting old favorites from previous decades, and they did a deep dive on "Judgment Night" -- a 90's thriller about a group of guys that take a shortcut through a rough neighborhood and end up hunted by a drug dealer after seeing him commit a murder. And, as I so often do, I started to wonder what that story would look like in the present day -- and what kind of neighborhood would be the scariest if it were three young Black guys, all with very different backgrounds that reflected my own and those of the friends I grew up with. And from there, the excitement took over, and it turned into one of the most enjoyable screenwriting experiences of my life. Apparently that enthusiasm was contagious, because the script was optioned pretty quickly by a team of indie producers.

Getting into production was tricky coming out of the pandemic, but I was fortunate enough to sit down for a coffee pretty early on in the process with Mason Gooding, who at the time was an exciting up-and-coming young actor -- and my dream choice to play the lead character, Derek. Mason loved the script, connected deeply with the character, and couldn't wait to get the project on its feet. With him attached, we were able to round out our incredible trio (since dubbed the "heartthrob three") with Algee Smith and Keith Powers, and Lionsgate came on board to finance and distribute. James was the final piece that got us the definitive greenlight, and I was over the moon when he sat down with me in a cafe in rural Texas and told me his perspective on our antagonist Jacob -- he had already fully immersed himself in the psychology of the character, and he brought a really exciting, personal perspective to the table. And he was perfect for the role -- an actor whose reputation as a charming, trustworthy good guy would allow me to cast him against type to create a compelling meta commentary on why the people in this community would trust him despite his deep-seated flaws.

We went into preproduction soon after he came on board, settling on an impressive gated neighborhood just outside Tulsa as our primary location -- because of a generous collaboration with Cherokee Nation and the Oklahoma Film Commission, we had decided to shoot much of the film on the other side of the Red River and double it for Texas -- and despite the sinister way the community is portrayed in the film, the local residents couldn't have been more helpful and supportive.

After eighteen days of crazy overnights in which we'd roll cameras as soon as dusk had set and wrap as soon as dawn showed on the horizon, we somehow made it through production, and I'm eternally grateful to the producing team, my DP Ray Huang, the local production coordination of Rebellium Films, and the hard-working local crew that powered through those nights with us. And with the brilliant work of editor Daysha Broadway and composer Jongnic Bontemps, the film truly feels even greater than the sum of its parts. It's a thriller, through and through, true to my genre instincts, but buried deep in the adrenaline-pumping thrill ride are the lessons of a kid growing up in Texas, eager to share his stories with the world."

About John Burr: "John Burr is an award-winning filmmaker originally from Dallas, Texas, known for crafting elevated horror and psychological thrillers that blend genre tension with layered social perspective. Born the day after Halloween, John has been drawn to suspense storytelling since first picking up a camera, building a body of work that explores fear not only as spectacle, but as a reflection of human psychology and culture. His feature debut Muse (2018) garnered international acclaim for its atmosphere, originality, and confident direction, establishing John as a bold new voice in genre filmmaking. The film received multiple honors at the Austin Revolution Film Festival, including nominations for Best Horror Feature, Best Cinematography, Best in Show – Feature, and Best Soundtrack/Score, and went on to win Best Horror Feature at the Cape Fear Independent Film Festival and Best Feature Film at both Frackfest and Horrorhaus Film Festival. John is of mixed heritage; on his mother’s side, he is related to Bankie Banx, the iconic reggae artist from Anguilla, and on his father’s side, he is related to Aaron Burr of Hamilton duel fame. He holds a master’s degree from the USC School of Cinematic Arts and a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College."

Photo Credit: Kylar Coffman