Nicolas Cage is set to take on the role of Joe Exotic in a new miniseries based on the imprisoned zoo-owner known as Tiger King.
According to Variety, the Oscar winner will be the lead in a project from showrunner Dan Lagana along with Paul Young. It will be based on a Texas Monthly article titled Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild, by Leif Reigstad.
The miniseries marks the second scripted drama to be based on Exotic following on from an announcement last year that the podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King would be adapted for television. Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon is attached to play Carole Baskin.
The Netflix docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness has found phenomenal success since its release earlier this year. The story follows an eccentric big cat keeper and the criminal underworld which surrounds him.
While Exotic is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence, he was asked which actor he’d like to play him. Brad Pitt, he suggested.