By The saga of Netflix’s Tiger King is about to become even stranger. In a new report from Variety, the publication has learned that acclaimed nutjob Nicolas Cage will be playing professional scumbag Joe Exotic in a scripted series based on his life. Obviously stemming from the popularity of Tiger King, I can’t think of better casting for the title role. Nic Cage is possibly crazier than Joe Exotic.
The series will be produced by Imagine Television and CBS Television Studios for an eight-episode run. It is heavily based on the Texas Monthly article Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into The World Of A Man Gone Wild written by Leif Reigstad. Dan Lagana (American Vandal) will be serving as writer, showrunner, and executive producer alongside Paul Young (Key & Peele), who will also executive produce. Cage is even attached with executive producing duties, though he’s obviously starring as well.
While the abundance of scripted series based on Tiger King that are cropping up might render this particular project redundant, it is notable for one reason. This will be the first television series that Cage will be involved in. That’s something I never even considered, especially with how prolific he has been over the years. Cage is possibly too big for TV, but this could end up being worth a watch.
