The long wait is finally over! Fans of the hit show Dawson’s Creek can prepare for a full cast reunion next month. This news comes after actor James Van Der Beek hinted at something big brewing on social media.
The main stars, James Van Der Beek, Michelle Williams, Katie Holmes, and Joshua Jackson, are joining forces with F Cancer. They will host a charity event in New York City on Monday, September 22. This announcement was shared in an official statement.
Other familiar faces from the cast will also be there. These include Mary Beth Peil, John Wesley Shipp, Mary-Margaret Humes, Nina Repeta, Kerr Smith, Meredith Monroe, and Busy Philipps. The event will feature a live reading of the show’s pilot episode. All money raised will go to F Cancer and to help Van Der Beek. He is currently battling stage 3 colorectal cancer.
“We grew up in Capeside, and that’s a bond that will last a lifetime,” Michelle Williams shared in a statement. Capeside was the fictional town where the WB series took place. She added, “We wanted to rally around our beloved friend James and remind him that we’re all here. We always have been and always will be. And I know the Dawson’s Creek fans feel the same way.”
Show creator Kevin Williamson plans to attend this special gathering. Jason Moore will direct the live reading.
“I am so excited to reunite with James, Michelle, Katie, Joshua and our Dawson’s Creek family for such a special night. Dawson’s Creek changed my life,” Williamson shared in his statement. He explained, “It started as a personal story about a young man and his friends facing life’s challenges. It became something much bigger than I ever dreamed.”
Williamson added, “It created a lasting fandom and legacy all over the world. I am so honored to be part of this. It’s also great to support our wonderful friend, James, as we all keep moving forward through life and its many challenges.”
Tickets for this one-night-only event will go on sale Friday, August 22, at 1 p.m. ET. You can find them on Broadway Direct.
The Hint That Started It All
Before the big announcement, James Van Der Beek got Dawson’s Creek fans talking. He posted a mysterious message on social media, hinting at a reunion. Fans were instantly eager for more details.
“If we were truly meant to be together, then we’ll find a way back to each other,” Van Der Beek, 48, wrote on his Instagram on Wednesday, August 20. This quote comes directly from the beloved WB series.
The only other clues he shared were a date and a city: September 22, 2025, in New York.
The social media video also featured an old Polaroid photo. It showed the four main Dawson’s Creek characters. These were Dawson Leery (Van Der Beek), Joey Potter (Katie Holmes), Pacey Witter (Joshua Jackson), and Jen Lindley (Michelle Williams).
Adding to the nostalgia, Paula Cole’s theme song, “I Don’t Want to Wait,” played in the background. This sent lifelong fans into a frenzy, wondering what was about to happen.
“WAIT WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?” one user asked in the comments.
Another fan replied, “They are going to kill us with this tease. My GenX heart is fragile in my late 40s 😫😍.”
A third fan typed in the comments, “Wait, WHAAAAT?! ❤️😮.”
Van Der Beek didn’t add any more details to his social media hint. However, his former co-star Busy Philipps fueled the excitement on the same Wednesday.
Philipps, 46, who played Audrey Liddell during the show’s college years, posted the same old Polaroid photo of the original stars with the same quote on her own Instagram. She also didn’t share more specifics, but she did tag Van Der Beek, Jackson (47), and Holmes (46). Williams, who has been Philipps’ best friend for years, doesn’t have a social media account.
“I gasped! What does it mean?! 🥲🩵,” a fan wrote in the comments. Another user responded, “Honestly, I think we deserved this.”
Mary-Margaret Humes, who played Dawson’s mother, Gale Leery, and Nina Repeta, who played Bessie Potter, also shared the cryptic message with their followers online.
Friendships Beyond Capeside
Dawson’s Creek aired for six seasons, from 1998 to 2003. It followed Dawson and his childhood best friend, Joey. She famously used to sneak through his window well into their teenage years. The show captured their coming-of-age journey and budding romance. A love triangle between Dawson, Joey, and their friend Pacey made the show one of the most iconic teen dramas of the 90s. Fans still talk about it to this day.
Earlier this year, Dawson’s Creek fans saw a renewed interest in the show. This happened after Van Der Beek shared he had recently reconnected with his castmates after years apart.
“I’ve been talking to them recently, and it’s been so nice,” the actor said during a March episode of the “Whine Down” podcast. “It’s great to talk to them and catch up on who they’ve become after so many years. It’s lovely every time I connect with one of them, having those shared experiences from back then.”
The following month, Williams, 44, gave fans a bit more insight into her friendship with Van Der Beek. She confirmed she’s “absolutely” in touch with him. This news came after the actor, a father of six, shared his cancer diagnosis in 2024.
“We are in touch; he’s in our heart and our minds, and he knows it,” the actress told Entertainment Tonight in April. “And we are here for him under any circumstances.”
In July, Jackson and Holmes also created a buzz among fans. They were photographed working on a new project together in New York. Later, it was revealed they are starring in a film trilogy called Happy Hours. And yes, they will play a romantic couple.
“Everyone loves Dawson’s Creek, and I do too,” Philipps told a prominent entertainment news outlet that same month. She also mentioned seeing Jackson earlier in the summer. “I’m happy people are happy we’re getting together,” she said.
Philipps had previously told a news outlet that a reunion had been on her mind for some time. “We really tried to figure something out,” she said in March. “But a couple of people have work commitments they can’t move. It’s like playing chess, trying to coordinate all the schedules. I really hope at some point it happens.”