Nicolas Cage has often paid homage to Elvis Presley, dubbed the King of Rock and Roll, in film, and now the Academy Award winner will emulate another king, Joe Exotic, the “Tiger King” in a new show.
A new television series, produced by CBS Television Studios and Imagine Television, will be based on Joe Exotic, the subject of the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King,” according to a report by the Hollywood Reporter. Cage, who won the Oscar for best actor for “Leaving Las Vegas,” will play the lead role in an eight-episode, scripted show. It is based on a Texas Monthly story published about Exotic, whose real name is Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage, in 2019.
The showrunner for “American Vandal,” Dan Lagana, will work on the series. Cage had been in talks to play the lead role since April.
On March, 10 “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” premiered on Netflix, becoming an instant must-watch for thousands of viewers self-quarantining in their homes. The story follows Exotic, a former zoo owner, and the tales of his love life, business failures and successes and conflict with his nemesis Carole Baskin, a tiger advocate.
The Texas Monthly, written by Leif Reigstad, recounts how Joe Schreibvogel built his private zoo in Oklahoma and details his feuds with Jeff Lowe and Baskin, both of whom are prominently featured in “Tiger King.” The scripted project, currently titled “Joe Exotic,” will focus on the charismatic zookeeper as he fights to retain his animal park and remain sane.
The new role for Cage, who sang several Presley hits in “Honeymoon in Vegas,” will be his first foray into television acting after decades of celebrated roles in film. The actor and producer who reportedly has a net worth of more than $25 million has most recently starred in such films as “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” in 2019 and “Mandy” in 2018.
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