As if the world of Tiger King couldn’t get any weirder, somehow Nicolas Cage has been cast as Joe Exotic in a brand new dramatic adaptation series of the events that inspired the hit Netflix series, Variety has reported.
The series will consist of eight episodes, and is being produced by Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios. However, it’s not a direct adaptation of the actual Netflix series itself, but rather based on an article in Texas Monthly called “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild” by Leif Reigstad.
The show has been in development since June 2019, when executive producers Dan Lagana (American Vandal) and Paul Young (Key and Peele) optioned the article. Lagana will also act as writer and showrunner.
We don’t know the name of the show yet, but the article gave a brief overview of what to expect from the plot: “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.”
This is Cage’s first experience in a regular television show – as he’s mostly known for his experimental film work. It’s also the second fictional project to be announced following Tiger King – Kate McKinnon is executive producer for a show based around Exotic’s nemesis Carole Baskin, and McKinnon will also star as Baskin.
There’s no date on when Cage’s series will be released just yet. In the meantime, why not check out whether or not there will be a second season of Tiger King?
Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Entertainment Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Entertainment Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.