Nicolas Cage has signed up to play Joe Exotic in a dramatisation of the Tiger King star’s colourful life.
The Leaving Las Vegas actor will portray the eccentric zookeeper made famous by the Netflix documentary in an eight-part series being produced by CBS.
The scripted TV series will focus on the gun-toting wild animal owner who fights to keep his park.
![Nicolas Cage](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5eb10cce2500004914eb0de5.jpeg?ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
According to Variety, “the series 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.”
It is based on the Texas Monthly article Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into The World Of A Man Gone Wild, by Leif Reigstad.
The 56-year-old actor will also be executive producer on what will be the Oscar-winner’s first ever TV series.
The Netflix doc - Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem And Madness - was released in March and is estimated to have reached 34.3 million viewers in its first 10 days, according to Nielsen data.
![Joe Exotic](https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/5eb10c3c240000c5048ea3e4.jpeg?cache=baYGd2M8AR&ops=scalefit_720_noupscale)
Joe Exotic - real name is Joe Schreibvogel - is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for plotting the murder of animal rights activist Carole Baskin.
Last month, Donald Trump responded to calls for a pardon for Exotic, after the president’s son, joked he should look into the Tiger King star’s prison sentence.
When the president was asked about the case during a press conference, he said: “I know nothing about it. He has 22 years for what – what did he do?”
Trump, who has shown he is not afraid to wield executive privilege, asked the reporters if they would “recommend a pardon” before jokingly adding: “I’ll take a look.”