We all knew it was coming, but the inevitable Tiger King scripted series is on its way. In a twist no one saw coming though, Variety confirms that Nicolas Cage will be playing Joe Exotic, the titular Tiger King.
The eight-episode series will see Imagine Television Studios and CBS Television Studios as producers. Variety reports that the project will be taken to market in the coming days and is based on the Texas Monthly article “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild,” by Leif Reigstad.
Dan Lagana and Paul Young optioned the article through Lagana’s overall deal at CBS Television Studios in June of 2019, a little less than a year before the series debuted on the streaming service. Lagana will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer with Young as the executive producer. The series looks to get closer to Joe than ever before, explore the origins of the Joe Exotic persona, and how he lost himself in the gimmick so much that he’s no serving time in prison.
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The story of the eccentric Joe Exotic, real name Joe Schreibvogel, became popular in the mainstream with the recent hit docu-series Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness from Netflix. The role will be the first television part of Cage’s career.
Are you looking forward to seeing Nic Cage as Joe Exotic? Let us know in the comments or on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Originally published May 4, 2020. Updated December 9, 2022.
