Inside James Van Der Beek’s Secret Plan To Revive Dawson’s Creek

File this under nearly-but-not-quite: Kevin Williamson says James Van Der Beek once had a full-on plan to bring Dawson's Creek back, and for a minute, it sounded like it could really happen.

The reboot that almost happened

According to Williamson, he and Van Der Beek talked multiple times about reviving the late-90s teen drama, and Van Der Beek was ready to roll up his sleeves and write it himself. The idea didn't die for lack of enthusiasm; it died because life got in the way.

"James and I talked about rebooting Dawson's Creek several times. He wanted to do it... there was a moment where he was going to write it — and he had a really great idea for it. He had a beautiful plan. Then I think he got on a show, and everybody got busy. It never happened. But there was a lot of talk about it."

When they tried it — and the vibe they wanted

Those conversations were happening around 2016, when Williamson was still juggling The Vampire Diaries. The tone they pictured? Think early This Is Us — earnest, time-jumpy, emotionally surgical. That was the template, because of course it was in that moment.

"I think it was a little along the lines of This Is Us. We envisioned it to have that kind of tone, because that was very popular at the time... so this was around season 1 of that show."

The built-in hurdle

There was also the not-small issue that Michelle Williams' character, Jen, died in the series finale. A proper reunion by definition goes from the original four down to three. That's a tough pivot for a show whose dynamic relied on that core quartet.

Why Williamson pumped the brakes

Williamson, who created Dawson's Creek (and later ignited the Scream franchise), has never exactly chased a traditional revival. He sees the two-part finale — which jumped the story five years ahead — as the show's built-in epilogue.

"I've always been resistant to Dawson's Creek. I always felt like, 'Well, we did that. We finished it.' In the last episode, we jumped five years. We went to the future. The last episode of that show was the remake."

So, is there any version he'd consider?

Maybe not for TV. But in a very unexpected twist, Williamson floated a different lane entirely: if Dawson and friends ever sing again, it could be on a stage. As in Broadway. Wild idea, oddly fitting — and just tantalizing enough to keep the door cracked without reopening Capeside on screen.