Nicolas Cage Will Play Joe Exotic In A New ‘Tiger King’ Show & Was There Even An Audition

Nicolas Cage will play Joe Exotic in a brand new scripted series, of course. Just when you (I) thought the Tiger King news had all but dried up, this happens. Good god.

The eight-episode series is based on the Texas Monthly article “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into The World of a Man Gone Wild” by Leif Reigstad. Will it be as utterly unhinged as the Netflix documentary? Who knows! Dan Lagana will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. You may know Lagana as the showrunner behind Netflix’s mockumentary series American Vandal. Cage, meanwhile, will also serve as executive producer.

Per the synopsis, via Variety: “The series will live in the lion’s den with Joe, explore how he became Joe Exotic, and how he lost himself to a character of his own creation.”

As an aside, Joe Exotic himself suggested either Brad Pitt or David Spade play him on screen. I wonder if he’s disappointed. I wonder if he even knows yet. Let us not forget that he’s currently serving a 22-year sentence in a Texas prison for attempting to hire someone to murder cool cat Carole Baskin.

It’s very much still early days though, so we don’t have a release date just yet. But in the meantime, be sure to look out for the other Tiger King scripted series that’s in the works as well. Announced late last year, the series will star Kate McKinnon as Baskin. It is based on the Wondery podcast: Joe Exotic: Tiger King. 

Two – we’re getting two different Tiger King series.

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