P.J. Pesce

Joe the King -- Fourteen-year-old Joe Henry grew up in a violent household. He soon resorts to petty -- but escalating -- crime. Can guidance counselor Len Coles set Joe on the right course, or will his life spiral out of control?

Michael and Julianne have an idyllic life managing a country resort. That is, until a mysterious stranger shows up looking for Michael. A blowout sends Michael's car off a cliff and into a river, but his body is never found. Julianne is forced to take over the resort completely and learns that Michael bankrupted the company. Furthermore, he has a mistress and a child. The stranger is not convinced that Michael is dead and remains at the resort. Michael surfaces, alive, and says that he is part of the Witness Relocation Program and testified against the stranger. The stranger holds Michael at gunpoint, but Julianne keeps him from shooting Michael. Everything is safe again, but having been betrayed by her husband, Julianne bids him farewell.

Actor Frank Whaley (Swimming With Sharks) makes his writing/directing debut with this unflinching, loosely autobiographical look at Joe Henry (Noah Fleiss), a sensitive but tough working class kid who struggles valiantly to survive the colossal road blocks fate has placed in his path. The star-studded cast features Val Kilmer as Joe's drunken, abusive father, John Leguizamo as a cynical busboy at the local greasy spoon, Karen Young as Joe's burnt-out mom and Ethan Hawke as his inept guidance counselor. With shattering honesty and unforgettable characters, Joe the King will command a permanent place in your heart.

Set in Mexico in the early 1900s, this prequel to the popular series begins with outlaw Johnny Madrid running from the hangman with the executioner's daughter in tow. The two escapees are soon caught up in the adventure of their lives.