Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem & Madness may have finished its run on Netflix over a year ago, but several biopic versions of the big cat true crime drama are in the works. Peacock’s limited series, which is currently using the working title Joe Exotic, has cast Joel Marsh Garland (Orange is the New Black) as James Garretson, a fellow big cat owner turned FBI informant according to Deadline.
Joe Exotic, which is based on the Wondery podcast, Joe Exotic: Tiger King, rather than the Netflix original docuseries, will follow Carole Baskin as she learns that Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel is breeding big cats for profit, which is a federal crime. According to Deadline, Baskin will be played by SNL’s Kate McKinnon, and Exotic will be played by John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Inch). As Baskin attempts to confront what she believes are Exotic’s cruel intentions, the sins of her own past begin to surface, raising the stakes between the two powerhouses of the big cat community.
In addition to Garland, McKinnon, and Mitchell, Joe Exotic will star Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow) as reporter Rick Kirkham, and Brian Van Holt (Black Hawk Down) as John Reinke. According to Deadline, other cast members include Nat Wolff (The Stand), who will play Travis Maldonado, Sam Keeley (The Siege of Jadotville) as John Finlay, Dean Winters (John Wick) as Jeff Lowe, and Lex Mayson (Batwoman) who will portray Saff.
While Peacock’s limited series take on the wild true crime case certainly has a full cast, it is only one of many projects based on the real-life story. According to Screen Rant, CBS is currently developing an eight-episode miniseries starring Nicholas Cage (National Treasure) as Exotic. Tara Reid (American Pie) is in talks to play Baskin in a movie adaptation of the events, and Ryan Murphy (creator, American Crime Story) has teamed up with Rob Lowe (The West Wing) for a project that will star Lowe as Exotic.