Nicolas Cage Is Set to Play Joe Exotic in Eight-Part Scripted Series Based on Eccentric Star of Netflix’s Tiger King
Nicolas Cage Is Set to Play Joe Exotic in Eight-Part Scripted Series Based on Eccentric Star of Netflix's Tiger King
Nicolas Cage has been chosen to portray Joe Exotic in an upcoming scripted series based on the Tiger King star.
The eight-part series is based on the Texas Monthly article ‘Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild’ by Leif Reigstad.
Cage, 56, is set to executive produce (via Saturn Films) the story surrounding Joe Schreibvogel, a.k.a Joe Exotic, a zookeeper in Oklahoma.
The show will explore how he became Joe Exotic and how he lost himself to a character of his own creation, Variety reports.
It will mark Cage’s first ever television role but based on the variety of oddball characters he’s played on the big screen, it shouldn’t be a challenge for the Oscar winner.
The eight-episode series is being produced by Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios. It will be taken to market in the coming days.
This is the second scripted series to be based on the Netflix docuseries Tiger King which dropped on Netflix on March 20, becoming a massive hit just as lockdown was taking place across the globe.
Kate McKinnon is attached to the first series, which was announced late last year, and will play Joe’s nemesis Carole Baskin.
The SNL comedian will also executive produce the series, based on six-episode Wondery podcast Joe Exotic.
The podcast follows the life of Baskin, a big cat enthusiast and activist against illegal big-cat zoos.
According to Variety, Netflix’s Tiger King is estimated to have reached an audience of 34.3 million unique viewers in its first 10 days of availability.
