A mother and father in Iowa were arrested after their 10-year-old child was allegedly found malnourished and locked up inside of their home.

Andrew C. Warrington and Kellie J. Warrington have been charged with first-degree kidnapping, child endangerment, willful injury and neglect or abandonment of a dependent person, according to Scott County jail records viewed by Us Weekly.

The victim’s identity has not been publicly revealed due to them being a minor. However, KWQC reported that the child was just 10 years old.

Andrew, 48, and Kellie, 47, allegedly “knowingly and secretly confined” the child in a bedroom for an extended period of time, according to Scott County arrest affidavits viewed by Our Quad Cities. The conditions of the bedroom were stark and did not include any furniture for the child to rest on.

The parents allegedly didn’t allow the child to use the bathroom, as well as deprived them of light, food and water during their confinement.

Andrew and Kellie reportedly concealed the situation by not allowing the child to attend medical appointments or mental health appointments and removed them from church activities, per the affidavits.

The lack of stimulation “for large periods of time [resulted] in both mental and physical torture” for the victim, according to court records viewed by Our Quad Cities. The child was also said to have suffered head injuries during their time trapped in the room.

“Without medical intervention, (the child) was at risk of death,” the affidavits claimed.

After authorities learned of the situation, the child was treated at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, according to KWQC. The current status of their health is unknown.

It is not currently clear how authorities became aware of the situation or how long an investigation into the matter lasted before Andrew and Kellie were arrested.

Andrew and Kellie were arrested on Friday, June 5, and are currently being held at Scott County Jail on $2 million cash-only bonds as of Tuesday, June 9. Both Andrew and Kellie are expected to attend a preliminary hearing on June 16.

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It is not currently clear if Andrew and Kellie have entered pleas or retained legal counsel following their arrests. The Scott County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to Us’ request for comment regarding the arrests.

The investigation into the case remains ongoing.

If you suspect child abuse, please call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or visit ChildHelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential, and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

Invincible is, without a doubt, one of the most popular superhero animated series of all time. In the vein of The Boys, this Prime Video show is brutal, bloody, and vulgar. However, it is filled to the brim with far more heart, love, and soul that helps define this series as one not of ridiculous gore and shock value, but telling a story about heroism, the price of it, and what it means to truly be one as a young person.

Mark Grayson (Steven Yeun) is very well-written and the world around him is also very well-established. Not only does Invincible have the writing of the original Invincible (2003) comic series writer, Robert Kirkman, behind it, but a bunch of new writers helping out now, as well. Having a whole writer’s room supporting the show and giving new ideas and reframing old ones has helped Invincible become something even more amazing than the original book, in some people’s opinions.

10

“A Deal with the Devil”

Season 3, Episode 2

Image via Prime Video

One of the most complex and interesting characters in Invincible isn’t just Mark Grayson, but none other than Cecil Stedman (Walton Goggins). No other episode fully depicts this like the likes of Invincible Season 3, Episode 2, “A Deal with the Devil”. The divide that inevitably comes between Invincible and the old, but badass man, is one of the best conflicts in the series. After the betrayal of Nolan Grayson (J.K. Simmons)—Omni-Man—Cecil’s trust in Viltrumites and, honestly, powerful people in general, is at an all-time low. Not to mention, the episode also depicts an origin of sorts for Stedman.

All of this culminates in a conflict that pulls the two apart. When it’s revealed that Cecil has been working with both Darkwing II (Cleveland Berto) as an agent and D.A. Sinclair (Eric Bauza) to create the ReAnimen—two people he considers to be vile killers—Mark flips out and attacks him, causing him to reveal his hand that he has implanted anti-Viltrumite technology in Mark’s head—a total invasion of privacy. This severs their alliance for seemingly good and puts Mark completely on his own, as well as sewing conflict in the members of the new Guardians of the Globe.

9

“I Thought You Were Stronger”

Season 2, Episode 8

Image via Prime Video

Despite the fact that it sometimes suffers from mid-season slumps in animation quality, the Invincible team always goes all-out for their big finales, and the finale for Season 2, Invincible Season 2, Episode 8, “I Thought You Were Stronger” is a great example. This is one of the first times that Mark’s family is genuinely put in danger, and it causes him to put to test all moral standards that he holds for himself as Angstrom Levy (Sterling K. Brown) severely harms his mother, Debbie Grayson (), and holds her and his little brother hostage.

Not only does this result in an awesome fight, but it features Mark being sent to tons of other universes, including a great reference to Spider-Man and the story the two have together in the comics, as seen in Marvel Team-Up #14 (2005). Now Agent Spider (Josh Keaton), the Web-Slinger is voiced by none other than Josh Keaton, voice of The Spectacular Spider-Man himself. With a great cameo and phenomenal fight, the Season 2 finale is one to remember.

8

“Don’t Leave Me Hanging Here”

Season 4, Episode 8

Image via Prime Video

The Season 4 finale—Invincible Season 4, Episode 8, “Don’t Leave Me Hanging Here”—emphasizes the fact that not only does Invincible thrive in action-based conflict, but the narrative-based conflict, as well. After the terrible fight with the Viltrumites and being gone from Earth for so long, Mark deals with the emotional fallout of it all, and is given a horrible choice.

Mark doesn’t just discover that Atom Eve (Gillian Jacobs) was pregnant and had to make a difficult choice all on her own (causing him to feel extremely guilty), but he finds out that the Viltrumites have secretly invaded Earth, and Grant Regent Thragg (Lee Pace) comes to him with a choice: fight him now and let Earth be destroyed and conquered, or allow his people to live and breed on Earth, doing nothing about it and letting the planet live another day. It’s a terrible position to be in and, while he resists at first, Mark accepts. After a whole episode of what seems like PTSD causing him to think he’s seeing Thragg, the eventual reveal of the real deal is executed masterfully.

7

“Don’t Do Anything Rash”

Season 4, Episode 7

Image via Prime Video

Everyone loves a good battle-oriented episode and one of the best comes in the form of Invincible Season 4, Episode 7, “Don’t Do Anything Rash” as Invincible, Oliver Grayson (Christian Convery), Nolan, Tech Jacket (Zoey Deutch), Battle Beast (Michael Dorn), Space Racer (Winston Duke), and the Coalition of Planets raid Viltrum to face the Viltrumites head-on. While the fight seems like it’ll go alright at the beginning, nothing goes the way they hoped it would.

This fight with the Viltrumites is brutal and has gigantic repercussions for the rest of the series and the characters present in the fight. Not only is Thaedus (Peter Cullen), leader of the Coalition, murdered, but Oliver is gravely injured, seemingly dead until revealed to have a chance at recovery. This episode also ends in the destruction of the entire planet of Viltrum, ripping almost everything Thragg loved away from him.

6

“It’s About Time”

Season 1, Episode 1

Image via Amazon

A good pilot can define whether a series will find success or not and the pilot of Invincible, Invincible Season 1, Episode 1, “It’s About Time” is an amazing one. While it may start out seeming like the standard superhero series with a bit of brutal The Boys flair, the big twist at the end of the episode solidifies this as a show that will be subverting expectations and unlike what people believed it would be in the majority of the first entry in this series.

After Mark has his big “first fly” as Invincible, in his new suit, set to an awesome soundtrack, audiences watch as his father, the ever-beloved Omni-Man, murders the Guardians of the Globe in cold blood. Why does he do this? No one is sure, and that leads to a mystery and season-long conflict that has viewers invested from start to finish.

5

“What Have I Done?”

Season 3, Episode 7

Image via Prime Video

The “Invincible War” arc from the comics is one that fans of said source material were looking forward to being animated more than most parts of the series up until this episode. Invincible Season 3, Episode 7, “What Have I Done?” depicts Angstrom Levy’s attack on the world via an army of evil Invincibles from across the multiverse in hopes of destroying the Invincible name for good.

This doesn’t just showcase how easy it would be for Mark to take over the planet if he wanted, but how much he is genuinely stronger than his fellow heroes. While a lot of them have died by the end of the episode, the hero can only stop the invasion for good by locking both Angstrom and the leftover Invincibles in another dimension. It’s a brutal episode that doesn’t just ruin the name of Invincible, but ends up in the death of Red Splode (Jason Mantzoukas).

4

“Give Us a Moment”

Season 4, Episode 5

Image via Prime Video

Conquest (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Is. Back. He isn’t just simply back, but he’s back and badder than he’s ever been. As the team is assembled by Allen the Alien (Seth Rogen) and Nolan, soon leaving Earth and heading to space to face the Viltrumite Empire, Mark finally gets his rematch with Conquest… and it doesn’t go as anyone hopes.

When the two go face-to-face again, Mark manages to actually kill Conquest this time, but at a terrible cost. In one of the most brutal, gory, and hard-to-watch scenes in the series, as he chokes Conquest to death, the evil Viltrumite slices the young protagonist’s abdomen open and pulls out his guts. Mark doesn’t give in and kills Conquest, but it puts him into a coma that will come to last for months.

3

“It’s Been a While”

Season 2, Episode 4

Image via Prime Video

When Mark is called to an alien planet to help them, he finds someone he could have never, ever expected to see there: his father, Nolan. Having not seen him since their big fight at the end of Season 1, when he fled Earth after beating Mark almost to death, the young man, understandably, doesn’t have a great reaction to seeing his dad again. To make matters worse, his good ‘ol pops reveals to him that he’s had another son with a member of the alien race on the planet he’s been residing on.

Although, at the end of the day, Mark is still grateful to see his father because, well, he’s still his father. Audiences get to see where Nolan went and what he did after leaving Earth, getting to witness the fact that he’s actually on a path to redemption and the call on Mark to save this planet was genuine. This is because the Viltrumites are coming and Nolan genuinely doesn’t want the people of this planet to suffer the way Earth did with him. So, together, in a fight scene that is absolutely iconic, father and son team up to take on the oncoming Viltrumites and save the planet. Nolan is taken, and Mark is left with his new baby brother.

2

“I Thought You’d Never Shut Up”

Season 3, Episode 8

Image via Prime Video

The finale of Season 3, features one of the best, most brutal, and hard-hitting battles in all of Invincible. After Conquest comes to Earth at the end of the previous episode, he and Mark finally get to fight, and it’s an episode-long trading of blows that is unlike any other in the entire show—potentially only rivaled by that of his fight with Nolan in the Season 1 finale.

Invincible Season 3, Episode 8, “I Thought You’d Never Shut Up” is meant to show not just Mark, but the viewers how truly unrelenting the Viltrumites are. Conquest doesn’t hold back for a single second and almost kills young Oliver, and full-on murders Atom Eve. He doesn’t even begin to entertain talking with Mark and the hero is only able to “kill” him by smashing his head into him over and over (after having almost all of his limps immobilized and broken). Thankfully, Atom Eve doesn’t fully die, but this fight leaves Mark in a space that redefines how he sees heroism as a whole.

1

“Where I Really Come From”

Season 1, Episode 8

Image via Prime Video

There’s truly zero question about the fact that the best episode of Invincible, to this very day, is Invincible Season 1, Episode 8, “Where I Really Come From”—aka the big finale of the first season outing. When Nolan’s villainy is finally revealed, it seems as if no one stands a chance against him besides his own son, Mark. Before they fight, though, Nolan tries to avoid this outcome by explaining to Mark, as the title states, where he really comes from.

It’s here the audience and the young hero finally get to hear the truth about Nolan and the Viltrumite race. Because he’s a good person, Invincible immediately denies this plan to take over the planet and fights his father, who is still abundantly stronger than him. In reality, it’s an episode of Nolan beating the ever-loving snot out of his son and almost murdering him. Not to mention, the fight ends in the best monologue in the series from the villain that is still quoted today. Until the end of time, this episode will remain unforgettable.

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Invincible

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Release Date

March 26, 2021

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Network

Amazon Prime Video

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By Robert Scucci
| Published 5 seconds ago

This past weekend, I celebrated my birthday by going to see The Book of Mormon for the first time at The Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC). My wife bought us tickets, which I have not looked up the price for because I don’t want to have a heart attack, and I finally checked off the last box I needed to earn the best kind of bragging rights: to the best of my knowledge, I’ve finally seen every single project that Trey Parker and Matt Stone have their names attached to.

I have my own La-Z-Boy BASEketball (also a gift from my wife), and I fall asleep to the sound of the South Park DVD mini-commentaries more than I’d ever care to admit publicly. I’ve watched all of their college skits, and even the ill-fated and short-lived Princess series that the duo animated with Macromedia Flash.

The one thing that was missing from my life was The Book of Mormon, and for a pretty stupid reason. When the musical premiered in 2011, I was fresh out of college (read: broke) and starting to do that whole “career” thing (read: trying to move out of my parents’ house). So what it comes down to is that I’m cheap, and even though I would take the occasional trip to NYC to play shows with my bands, I never jumped at the opportunity to see the damn thing until this past Sunday.

I’m overjoyed to report that, as somebody who will blindly consume everything Trey Parker and Matt Stone put out, I’m more than willing to forget about Seasons 27 and 28 of South Park because The Book of Mormon is their magnum opus, and it’s not even close. The version of the play I saw didn’t feature any of the original cast, but the production was such a well-oiled machine that I don’t think that matters much. The songs hit hard, the jokes lit up the room with laughter, and I’ve never had so much fun cackling at other people’s misfortune because it’s all framed so wholesomely.

All About Mormons

This is where I come clean and admit that I’ve never attended the theater outside of the occasional high school trip when I was in the symphonic band and got dragged to the opera or symphony while competing. I was relieved when my wife told me I didn’t need to wear a tie or anything like that, and even more stoked when I found out I could order a hot dog and a Diet Coke for a nominal fee. The theater itself was beyond efficient. The only comparison I have in recent memory is a typical movie theater trip, where the concession line could potentially take you away from the film you’re trying to see for a not insignificant amount of time.

TPAC has a firm cutoff for stragglers, which worried me, but to their credit, they belted out concessions like nobody’s business. After looking for parking during CMA Fest (we gave ourselves plenty of time, relax), we were getting down to the wire.

The play itself is exactly what you’d expect from Trey Parker and Matt Stone. If you’re a longtime fan of South Park, you already know exactly what they think about the Mormons after watching the Season 7 episode “All About Mormons” (dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb-dumb!). The thesis presented in that episode is a simple one: the religion itself is often criticized for claiming that Jesus Christ visited the Americas, and that its scripture came from golden plates that only Joseph Smith could see and translate. It doesn’t hold up to scrutiny, but the flip side is that Mormons are also considered some of the kindest and most wholesome people you’ll ever meet, so that’s the tradeoff.

The Book of Mormon pushes this sentiment to extremes when the young, naive, and idealistic Elder Price and Elder Cunningham are shipped off to their first two-year mission assignment. Elder Price is dead set on going to Orlando, Florida, but as luck would have it, he’s paired with Cunningham, an emotionally immature pathological liar who means well but can’t help getting himself into heaps of trouble when left unsupervised.

They quickly learn that they weren’t adequately trained to handle the very real, very deadly problems awaiting them in Uganda, where a warlord named General Butt-F*cking-Naked rules with an iron fist and everybody fears for their lives. It’s a perfect odd-couple, coming-of-age story that uses the Mormon religion as its vehicle to show the insurmountable odds stacked against these young missionaries, and how they handle them as two kids from Utah who have, up until this point, lived very sheltered lives.

It Holds Up, Even If I’ve Never Seen It Before

My biggest fear going into The Book of Mormon for the first time was whether the humor would still land. Generally speaking, most things that were considered irreverent or offensive just a few years ago seem tame by today’s standards, especially when they’re rooted in topical humor. It’s the reason I think South Park’s most recent run may have been funny in the moment but won’t hold up 10 years from now as anything worth revisiting.

Heck, in the South Park documentary, 6 Days to Air, Matt Stone commented on the show’s early seasons and compared them to Yo Gabba Gabba! when discussing what they’re allowed to get away with now. With that in mind, my enthusiasm was guarded, but the conflicts presented in The Book of Mormon are not only as old as time, they’re universal. There is still civil unrest in developing countries, and young men and women still do missionary work, meaning the entire premise holds up without feeling dated.

As for the humor itself, it’s shocking how many different people were into The Book of Mormon. Songs like “Hasa Diga Eebowai” hilariously, and profanely, spell out the kinds of perils the characters face in Uganda, but then you get naively wholesome songs like “Sal Tlay Ka Siti,” which is all about starting fresh in the elusive and mythical paradise known as Salt Lake City, Utah. There’s really something for everybody here so long as you don’t mind a gratuitous amount of curse words peppered through each song and dance number. 

Understudy Didn’t Break The Illusion

Between Act I and Act II, the role of Elder Cunningham was swapped out, and we were told over the loudspeakers that Jacob Aune would be replaced by Keith Gruber for the remainder of the musical. For what reason? I don’t know. Aune was magnetic, and his boisterous presence and enthusiasm for messing everything up for Elder Price (Ethan Davenport) never felt phoned in. I wondered if he fell ill or something because, if he was fighting off whatever caused the change, I couldn’t tell at all.

Honestly, the set changes were so efficient, even with the lights completely killed at times between musical numbers, that I wondered if Aune had been injured while everybody was shuffling around backstage and had to be swapped out quickly, though I’m only guessing here. His understudy, despite having brown hair instead of red and a noticeably different build, didn’t miss a beat. I’m no expert, but when one of the leads is swapped out right before his character’s big number, “Making Things Up Again,” and the show continues without a single hiccup, I’ll always be impressed.

It was also a treat to see two very talented individuals portray the same character, which allowed me to see what each performer brought to the table and how they contributed to the overall show. I’m calling this experience a treat because I’m notoriously cheap, and this will probably be the only time I venture out to see The Book of Mormon. I felt like I got a two-for-one deal!

The Book of Mormon was everything I thought it would be, and it may very well be Trey Parker and Matt Stone’s crowning achievement. Just like the most timeless South Park episodes, the musical doesn’t lean on topical humor, and its jokes will still land another 15 years from now. I watched elderly women laugh their asses off at jokes about maggots living in a poor Ugandan’s scrotum, and people my age cover their mouths when Elder Cunningham finally converts Nabulungi after essentially telling her that Mormonism is Star Wars.

I got lost twice looking for the bathroom line during intermission, and at one point I spit up my Diet Coke during “Hello! (Reprise)” toward the end of the musical. Don’t worry, I caught it in my shirt, and nobody was harmed.

If you’re like me and hate crowded places but love all things Trey Parker and Matt Stone, you owe it to yourself to check out The Book of Mormon, which is currently running shows all over the country as part of its 15th anniversary celebration.

Diamond Brown is calling Chris Brown an “IG Dad” while airing out their alleged text messages.

RELATED: Oop! Diamond Brown Seemingly Throws Shade At Chris Brown Amid Him Reportedly Responding To Her Paternity & Custody Suit

Diamond Brown Calls Chris Brown An “IG Dad” While Airing OUT Their Alleged Text Messages

On Tuesday, June 9, Diamond Brown took to her now-deleted Instagram account to share a few posts to her Story. Furthermore, the posts showed alleged screenshots with a contact identified as “CB.” In an initial text, dated February 18, she wrote that he does not control her or have a say in her personal relationships. Subsequently, she explained that he has his own life and a baby on the way. Ultimately, she told the singer to focus on consistently showing up for his children and keeping their communication strictly to co-parenting.

On March 26, Chris allegedly responded to her, saying that she hates him, but whenever she wants him, he’s there. Furthermore, he told her that she always turns him on, so she should stop being a “b***h.”

In her final post, she chastised the singer, calling him an “IG dad.”

Social Media Reacts

Social media users slid in TSR’s comment section with reactions to Diamond Brown’s message and alleged texts with Chris Brown.

Here’s What Happened Before Diamond Brown Called Chris Brown An “IG Dad” While Airing OUT Their Alleged Text Messages

As The Shade Room previously reported, in April, Diamond Brown filed a paternity suit against Chris Brown, requesting primary physical and legal custody fo their daughter, Lovely. Earlier this month, Chris responded to her petition, requesting joint custody.

More recently, Diamond Brown appeared to throw shade at Brown with her social media re-posts — one dating as recently as earlier this week.

RELATED: Standing On Business? Diamond Brown’s Recent Social Media Message Has Internet Users Strongly Divided & Mentioning Chris Brown

Sienna Miller met actor Oli Green at a Halloween party thrown by a mutual friend, but it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.

“I was like, ‘This is absurd. This will not go anywhere,’” she told British Vogue in December 2023. “He worked hard to persuade me to go out for a drink with him.”

Miller previously dated Jude Law on and off from 2004 to 2011. She moved on with Tom Sturridge, whom she dated from 2011 to 2015. The pair welcomed daughter Marlowe in July 2012.

After Miller connected with Green, Emily Blunt tagged along for one of their New York City dates in early 2022. Blunt told British Vogue that she sees “so much of” her longtime friend in Green, especially “that free-spirited, curious, guileless thing that he has.”

Related: Sienna Miller’s Dating History: Jude Law, Oli Green and More

Sienna Miller has never given up on love — even after her messy split from ex-fiancé Jude Law made headlines in the early 2000s. “There’s a whole six weeks of that experience that I don’t remember,” Miller recalled to the Daily Beast in December 2020. “I have no recollection of it.” Miller confessed she was […]

The couple made their red carpet debut in March 2022. More than one year later, it was reported that Miller is pregnant with the couple’s first baby together. The Daily Mail confirmed in January 2024 that she gave birth to a baby girl. Miller revealed she is pregnant with her and Green’s second child at the British Fashion Awards in December 2025.

Miller confirmed in May 2026 that she and Green welcomed their second child together. News broke in June 2026 that the couple is engaged.

Keep scrolling for a look back at Miller and Green’s complete relationship timeline:

February 2022

Miller and Green were first linked after being spotted on a date in New York City.

March 2022

The couple were seen leaving Royal Albert Hall together in London after the BAFTAs. Later that month, Miller and Green made their relationship red carpet official at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills.

April 2022

Miller revealed to Elle UK that she chose to freeze her eggs when she turned 40. She shared that the pressure of her biological timeline was a “really loud noise.”

“Biology is incredibly cruel on women in that decade — that’s the headline, or it certainly was for me,” she explained. “Then I got to 40 and I froze some eggs. Having been really focused on the need to have another baby, I’m just like, if it happens, it happens. That kind of existential threat has dissipated.”

August 2023

One month after she sparked pregnancy rumors in St. Tropez, Miller showed off her growing baby bump while wearing a bikini on vacation in Ibiza.

September 2023

Miller bared her baby bump in an ivory Schiaparelli ensemble while attending the Vogue World: London event.

December 2023

Miller graced the cover of British Vogue 28 weeks into her pregnancy and opened up about her relationship with Green. At the time, the couple had recently moved into their own place after living at Green’s parents’ home in West London.

“I don’t think you can legislate on matters of the heart,” she said, addressing her 14-year age gap with Green. “I certainly have never been able to.”

January 2024

News broke that Miller gave birth to their baby girl.

May 2024

Miller reflected on her vacation with Green to the Maldives, revealing the babymoon was their first couples’ trip. “When Oli and I were preparing for the trip we realized that we’d never actually been on holiday, just the two of us, in our entire relationship,” she wrote in an essay penned for The Sunday Times. “So it was really magical to have that time together, thinking about each other and the baby that was about to arrive.”

June 2024

“I didn’t expect to take it seriously,” Miller told Harper’s Bazaar of the early days of her and Green’s romance. “And then quite quickly, I fell in love.”

Miller recalled being surprised by Green’s age when they met. “I wasn’t like, ‘I’m gonna get a younger boyfriend,’” she recalled. “It was more, ‘F–k! Why are you young? That’s so annoying.’”

Looking back, the actress said their 14-year age gap has actually been positive. “There is a difference in the way that generation of men respect women,” Miller added. “It’s specific to him, he is very wise and well-adjusted, but I do believe it’s also that generation. They have grown up with a slightly more level playing field. I see it in his female friends as well as in the men.”

December 2025

Miller showed off her baby bump at the British Fashion Awards in December 2025, revealing that she and Green are expecting their second baby.

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May 2026

Miller told E! News that she and Green had welcomed their second baby.

“It’s happened,” she told the outlet. “I have a tiny baby next door. It feels like stringing sentences together is a bit challenging. I’m on very little sleep, but I’m madly in love with my baby.”

June 2026

Days after Miller was spotted with a ring on her left hand, E! News confirmed that she and Green are engaged. Us Weekly reached out for comment at the time.

1990 was an unusually big year for crime movies. There are crime films that come out every year, sure, but there was one of the best of all time in 1990: Goodfellas, plus a bunch of other notable ones. Sure, The Godfather Part III wasn’t as good as either of the first two, but it’s still not as bad as some people make it out to be. Then, there was Miller’s Crossing, which has always been an underrated Coen Brothers film, Dick Tracy (which is more of a comedic crime movie), and John Woo’s Bullet in the Head, which gets unfairly buried between The Killer (1989) and Hard Boiled (1992), despite being almost just as good.

So, it was a crowded scene. And in that scene, there was also King of New York, which might well be the most underrated of the bunch, even if it’s not entirely obscure, as it’s become something of a cult classic (or, at least, the kind of movie that’s viewed more favorably nowadays than it was back when it first came out). It’s a take on Robin Hood, but with a gangster in then-contemporary New York City, and it stands as perhaps the best and most approachable movie in Abel Ferrara’s filmography. He’s a sometimes challenging director, and sure, King of New York is a little offbeat, and maybe not for everyone, yet is still worth giving a shot if you’re generally a fan of gangster thrillers.

The Plot of ‘King of New York’

Image via Carolco Pictures

The Robin Hood comparison is fair, honestly. Frank White (Christopher Walken) is that 20th-century Robin Hood, and he’s a powerful crime lord who’s just been released from prison, and he sets his sights on going legitimate. However, before he does that, he also wants to tie up loose ends within the world of crime he formerly operated in, and so that involves going around and taking down his competitors. Then, there are plans to donate the money he’s made through illegitimate means to those who are downtrodden.

In that sense, King of New York is also about redemption, but it explores this tension between doing violent things and possibly still being a net good for society at the same time. There’s certainly stuff to think about here alongside the more visceral and intense moments offered by King of New York. It also utilizes the titular city incredibly well throughout, with the gritty narrative feeling more believable because of how well the movie’s world is fleshed out within a single film. Therein lies a potential comparison to Goodfellas, and the movies of Martin Scorsese, since he’s another director who likes setting plenty of his films in New York (Goodfellas, of course, included).

What ‘King of New York’ Offers as a Gangster Movie

If you’re even a little familiar with Abel Ferrara, you’re probably aware that he tends to make dark and despairing movies, and he’s also not shy about pushing boundaries. So, that goes some way toward explaining why King of New York is as gritty and downbeat as it is. It’s not sugar-coated, feeling dark even by the standards of the gangster genre, and it was even originally rated X, in the U.S., before an appeal successfully got its rating back down to an R (this was right before the introduction of the NC-17 rating, as that happened in 1990, too).

There’s a guy who has a violent past, and his present is also quite dominated by violence, given what he wants to do when he’s fresh out of prison, but he seems to be up against forces that are morally worse than him. And then the fact that many of his adversaries are technically on the “right” side of the law makes things interesting, since King of New York showcases the extreme lengths police can go to when trying to take down violent criminals. There’s an antihero who wants to use his influence (that he got from being a criminal) to do some good, a police force that’s driven to fight fire with fire, and then other criminals who are far more ruthless than either of those other two sides, being the guys the antihero wants to take down. It all gets violent, more than a bit messy, and consistently morally interesting, more than sustaining a film’s worth of conflict.

‘King of New York’ Has One of Christopher Walken’s Very Best Performances

Image via New Line Cinema

Also, at the end of the day, King of New York is incredibly valuable for being one of those rare movies where Christopher Walken gets to be the unambiguous main character. He tends to be the sort of actor who shows up in supporting roles, stealing scenes, or sometimes really only stealing one scene (see Pulp Fiction). He’s an all-time great supporting actor for this reason, but King of New York is a great showcase for his ability to also be a surprisingly strong leading man. His performance here is also a little different from the kinds he’s more famous for giving, since it’s more understated, and the film’s general grimness means he’s by no stretch of the imagination doing anything quirky on screen.

There’s a strong supporting cast here, too, as the likes of Laurence Fishburne, David Caruso, Wesley Snipes, Giancarlo Esposito, and Steve Buscemi all show up throughout King of New York, too. It’s an easy enough movie to watch nowadays, too, since it can be streamed on Amazon Prime (for now, maybe not forever). If you’re a fan of Christopher Walken, or in the mood for something a little offbeat and underrated, as far as gangster/crime/thriller movies go, then King of New York is certainly worth a shot.

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King of New York

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Release Date

July 18, 1990

Runtime

103 minutes

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Director

Abel Ferrara

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Writers

Nicholas St. John

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What do a comedian, a fashion entrepreneur, a podcast star, a pair of celebrity chefs, and a room full of creators have in common? At Chronicle‘s “Emerging Icons at Tribeca” celebration, they all found themselves under the same roof.

Held during Tribeca Festival‘s 25th anniversary festivities, the event brought together a collection of personalities whose careers likely wouldn’t have existed in the same way a decade ago. Some built audiences through comedy sketches. Others through podcasts, social media, fashion brands or food content. Together, they represented a new generation of influence that is reshaping the entertainment business.

Among those attending were comedian Delaney Rowe, media personality Tinx, creator and interviewer Davis Burleson, fashion entrepreneur Jessica Wang and celebrity chefs Clinton Kelly and Michael Symon, stars of “Chewed Up.” While their backgrounds differ, they all share one thing: direct connections with audiences who follow them across multiple platforms.

That’s part of what made the gathering feel different from a traditional Hollywood event.

The Red Carpet Reflected Entertainment’s Changing Landscape

The event’s guest list was not the only thing signaling a shift in entertainment, but the fashion reflected it, too. Guests arrived in everything from sleek black eveningwear to bold, fashion-forward statement looks, creating an atmosphere that felt somewhere between a Hollywood premiere, creator summit, and fashion event.

Unlike traditional red carpets centered solely around actors or studio-backed celebrities, Chronicle’s gathering highlighted personalities who built influence across industries. Some arrived as creators-turned-entrepreneurs, while others balanced careers spanning television, fashion, podcasting, food media and brand partnerships.

The result was a crowd that looked less like old Hollywood and more like a snapshot of where entertainment is headed.

How The Creator Economy Is Reshaping Celebrity

The lines separating celebrities, entrepreneurs and creators have become increasingly blurred. Today’s most recognizable personalities aren’t necessarily discovered through television networks or movie studios. Many build audiences independently before expanding into podcasts, live events, products, books, television projects and businesses of their own.

That evolution is exactly why Chronicle has become a growing name in creator circles. Founded by Aaron Sisto, Scott Greenberg and Ollie Lewis, the company works at the intersection of technology, media and audience growth, helping creators and brands better understand how people engage with content online.

Throughout the evening, conversations weren’t centered solely on movies or television. Guests discussed brand launches, content strategies, audience trends and emerging opportunities across digital media. It reflected an industry where influence increasingly travels between platforms rather than living on just one.

Speaking about the growing role of AI in Hollywood, Chronicle co-founder and CEO Aaron Sisto pushed back on the idea that technology alone will replace traditional storytelling.

“I hear a lot of folks in San Francisco talking about AI as a way to disrupt traditional Hollywood,” Sisto explained. “That’s sort of the mentality up here – the idea that the next Pixar is going to be completely AI automated top to bottom. But after being in this world, investing in it and seeing the technology, I don’t buy it.”

Instead, Sisto argued the entertainment industry’s biggest problem is not necessarily creating content, but getting it in front of the right people. “Content isn’t actually the pain point or the bottleneck,” he said. “It’s marketing and distribution.”

According to Sisto, audiences no longer live exclusively inside traditional studio ecosystems, making discoverability one of the biggest shifts in modern media. “Audiences now live in completely different places,” he explained. “They live on these social platforms that the studios don’t control, and because of that, the studios are no longer the gatekeepers. The platforms and algorithms are.”

Why The Future Of Entertainment May Already Be Here

In many ways, the recent event felt less like a party and more like a glimpse into where entertainment is headed. The creators in attendance aren’t waiting for gatekeepers to decide who gets a platform. They’ve already built their own.

And if the crowd at Chronicle’s Tribeca gathering was any indication, the next chapter of entertainment may belong to people who started with nothing more than a camera, an idea, and an internet connection.