Nicolas Cage has been cast as Joe Exotic in a new television miniseries based on the life of the infamous big cat owner. Exotic rose to infamy following Netflix’s hugely successful documentary
Tiger King, which documented his life and various other zoo-owners, which exposed animal abuse and true crime. Exotic is now serving a 22-year-long prison sentences after being found guilty 17 charges of animal abuse and two counts of murder for hire.
Cage’s TV portrayal will mark his first ever television project. The eight-episode series will be based on a
Texas Monthly article “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild,” by Leif Reigstad. The show will “live in the lion’s den with Joe, explore how he became Joe Exotic, and how he lost himself to a character of his own creation”.
American Vandal’s Dan Lagana will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer.
No other casting details have been revealed.