Amazon has nabbed the rights to the upcoming Joe Exotic TV series starring Nicolas Cage.
The eight-episode series is being helmed by Dan Lagana, co-creator and showrunner of the Netflix mockumentary American Vandal. The story will focus on rise and fall of the eccentric zookeeper, who became an Internet sensation after being featured in the Netflix documentary Tiger King. He is currently serving 22 years in a federal prison after being found guilty of a murder-for-hire plot against his former rival, Carole Baskin, as well as for animal abuse. (Earlier this week, Joe Exotic formally petitioned Donald Trump for a pardon.)
The origins of Lagana’s project actually pre-date Netflix’s Tiger King. CBS Television Studios optioned the series, based on a Texas Monthly story on Joe Exotic, back in June 2019. However, following the success of Tiger King, Cage came aboard to play the titular role and Amazon soon followed with a bag of cash.
Amazon’s series isn’t the only Tiger King-related scripted series in the works; Peacock recently gave a straight-to-series order for a limited series about Baskin. That project is being helmed by Etan Frankel (Sorry for Your Loss, Shameless) and stars SNL’s Kate McKinnon as the big cat lover.
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