VAN DER BEEK, McDERMOTT TEAM

Friday April 02, 1999 12:00 AM EST

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"Dawson's Creek" star James Van Der Beek and Dylan McDermott of "The Practice" are getting together to star in "Texas Rangers," a feature film about how a ragtag gang of youngsters banded together after the Civil War to form the Texas Rangers, a group charged with the dangerous and ruthless duty of cleaning up the West. Variety reports that the project has a long history but was shelved in 1984 when its director, Sam Peckinpah ("The Wild Bunch"), died. The film's resurrection reportedly has a lot to do with Van Der Beek, who made his feature-starring debut earlier this year in "Varsity Blues," for which he was paid a paltry $200,000. The low-budget teen drama has earned a remarkable $52 million domestically. In recognition of that bankability, the 22-year-old actor will be paid a low seven-figure salary for "Texas Rangers," a project he chose after turning down numerous teen-themed dramas and comedies for his hiatus slot.