A scripted Tiger King TV show casts Nicolas Cage to star as Joe Exotic, the stage name of Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage. The Tiger King himself has become a household name in recent weeks thanks to the Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, which introduced viewers to the world of big cat breeding. Though Exotic was the central focus of Tiger King, and the figure to which the title refers, Netflix's widely watched series also featured other colorful characters like Carole Baskin, Jeff Lowe and Doc Antle.
Given the popularity of the Tiger King docuseries, a variety of other projects surrounding the subject of Exotic have been put into development. Even Netflix released a new Tiger King episode, hosted by Joel McHale featuring new interviews with many of the people the original docuseries focused on. Now, the first upcoming scripted adaptation of Exotic's story and his rise to infamy as the Tiger King is moving forward, casting their main star.
As reported by Variety, Nicolas Cage will star in the upcoming Tiger King series as Exotic. The Tiger King scripted drama will be adapted from Leif Reigstad's article in Texas Monthly titled "Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild.” Film rights for the article were acquired by American Vandal showrunner Dan Lagana and producer Paul Young. Lagana will write and executive produce the series in addition to serving as showrunner; Young will executive produce.
In the weeks since Tiger King became a huge success on Netflix, various actors in Hollywood have voiced their interest in playing Exotic, including both Edward Norton and Dax Shepard. Fans of the docuseries have also offered their own casting picks for the Tiger King himself, like Sam Rockwell or Danny McBride. As for Exotic, he suggested Brad Pitt as the actor to take on a fictionalized version of him in any such adaptation. However, Cage is the actor to land the role and will no doubt do great things in Lagana's upcoming TV show. The writer had success with American Vandal seasons 1 and 2 on Netflix, both receiving a great deal of praise from critics and fans alike.
What remains to be seen now is who the show will cast as Baskin, Lowe and Antle - that is, if they're included in the new drama. Although the three played key roles in Netflix's Tiger King docuseries, it's unclear how they'll fit into Lagana's series. Both Baskin and Lowe are mentioned in the article on which the series is based, but not Antle. Fans will have to wait and see what aspects of Exotic's life the upcoming scripted series will adapt, if it'll expand on events and people not mentioned in Reigstad's article or stick to the saga of Exotic and Baskin. Until more is revealed, those excited for the show can speculate on who should be cast as Baskin to join Cage's Exotic in the Tiger King TV show.
Source: Variety