Dennis Quaid has just joined the cast of Joe Exotic, an upcoming TV series about the subject of Netflix’s Tiger King.
Joe Exotic is being developed as a limited series by Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service in the US.
Quaid will star as reality show producer Rick Kirkham, according to Deadline. Kirkham appeared in person in Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, the documentary series that became a hit on Netflix between March and April 2020.
Here’s everything we know so far about Peacock’s upcoming TV show:
What is it based on?
The story of Joseph Maldonado-Passage (aka Joe Exotic) has been told in several forms, and a few projects are currently in the works.
Peacock’s Joe Exotic is based on the podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King, released between March and April 2020 by Wondery, a network now owned by Amazon.
It’s not directly related to the Netflix show, although it’s based on the same story and people.
What is it about?
According to a synopsis published by The Wrap, “the limited series will center on Carole Baskin, a big cat enthusiast, who learns that fellow exotic animal lover Joe ‘Exotic’ Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit”.
In the series, “she sets out to shut down his venture, inciting a quickly escalating rivalry. But Carole has a checkered past of her own and when the claws come out, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy. The results prove dangerous.”
Who has been cast?
In addition to Quaid starring as Kirkham, Joe Exotic will feature Tony winner John Cameron Mitchell as the title character.
SNL star Kate McKinnon will portray Baskin, while Brian Van Holt will star as John Reinke, a friend and former coworker of Maldonado-Passage. Nat Wolff has been cast as Travis Maldonado, Maldonado-Passage’s former husband, while Sam Keeley will star as John Finlay, a former partner of Maldonado-Passage.
When will the series be released?
A release date has yet to be confirmed in the US and in the UK.
Considering casting announcements are still being rolled out, it suggests that production has not yet started and so it should be at least a few months before the show airs.
