Margot Robbie as Joe Exotic: Everything we know about the Tiger King miniseries.

Warning: This post definitely contains spoilers for Netflix’s documentary series, Tiger King.

We’re four months into 2020 and little did we know we’d be spending our days in isolation watching big cats and a self-described “gay, gun-toting cowboy with a mullet” called Joe Exotic. But here we are.

Yep, Netflix’s wild new docuseries Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness has consumed the minds of people all over the world. And we’re certainly not mad about it.

In case you haven’t seen it yet, the seven-part docuseries delves into the truly bizarre world of big cat ownership in the United States.

The baffling documentary series, which is based on a true story, follows Joseph Maldonado-Passage a.k.a Joe Exotic, who runs an exotic animal zoo called the Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park. He also happens to have a vendetta against a woman named Carole Baskin, who he claims allegedly fed her ex-husband to her tigers.

Oh, and there’s also a cult-like leader, heavy drug use, an ex-drug lord, countless big cats and exploitation of both animals and humans. Yeah… it’s a lot.

Watch the trailer for Netflix’s Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness below. Post continues after video. 

But now, there’s good news for all those cool cats and kittens out there who have already binged all seven episodes.

Tiger King is being adapted into a TV miniseries by UCP studios and it’s set to feature a star-studded cast.

From the storyline to who’s playing the Tiger King himself, here’s everything we know about the upcoming miniseries.

The storyline.

Thanks to the Netflix docuseries, Joe Exotic has quickly become a household name. But before the Netflix series was released, the eccentric zoo owner was first introduced to the world in season two of Wondery’s podcast, Over My Dead Body.

The new TV miniseries will be based on the podcast and will follow the ongoing feud between Joe, Carole and other members of the big cat community.

Wondery’s Hernan Lopez and Marshall Lewy will executive produce the series along with Saturday Night Live’s Kate McKinnon.

The series may also feature possible new evidence about the disappearance of Carole’s husband, Don Lewis, after the Hillsborough County sheriff recently requested new leads about Lewis’ disappearance on Twitter.

Since @netflix and #Covid19 #Quarantine has made #TigerKing all the rage, I figured it was a good time to ask for new leads. #CaroleBaskin #DonLewis #Netflix #Tiger #BigCatRescue #JoeExotic #TigerKingNetflix #HCSO pic.twitter.com/LHoJcBZVOI

— Chad Chronister (@ChadChronister) March 30, 2020

Mamamia’s daily entertainment podcast, The Spill, discuss Netflix’s Tiger King. Post continues below.

The cast.

Ever since news broke about the Tiger King miniseries, Hollywood names like Channing Tatum and Dax Shepard have been thrown into the ring to play Joe Exotic and his gang of misfits. Here’s what we know about the cast so far.

Carole Baskin

UCP have confirmed that as well as producing the miniseries, Kate McKinnon will play the controversial Carole Baskin. And Carole has already given Kate the tick of approval.

"Kate McKinnon is a wonderful actress. Big Cat Rescue implores Kate McKinnon to not use real big cats and cubs in the making of her series," Carole said in a statement provided to EW.

Carole also requested that CGI tigers are used throughout the show instead of real ones.

"We urge McKinnon to utilize computer-generated imagery (CGI) of cats in the show rather than forcing real big cats to suffer just to entertain the audience."

Joe Exotic

It didn't take long for celebrities like Dax Shepard and Edward Norton to put their hands up to play Tiger King himself, with both actors putting forward a very impassioned plea on Twitter.

If I don't get cast as Joe Exotic in the eventual biopic, Hollywood is broken.

— dax shepard (@daxshepard) March 26, 2020

Um, step aside, pal. You’re way too young and buff and you know it. You could probably pull off Maldonado still, actually. Wouldn’t that be fun?

— Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton) March 26, 2020

Dax, however, took it one step further and tweeted a photo-shopped version of himself as Joe Exotic. And yeah... we definitely see it now.

This is a great first step. https://t.co/wcwuVNCcaZ

— dax shepard (@daxshepard) March 26, 2020

However, Wondery podcast host Robert Moor has very different actors in mind for the role.

"We’ve been talking a lot of names… Sam Rockwell (Jojo Rabbit) was one of the names that came up a lot to play Joe Exotic,” he told radio host Andy Cohen on Radio Andy.

“My preferred casting, and this is off the wall, would be Margot Robbie. I think Margot Robbie should play Joe in a like a gender switch (thing)."

When Cohen pointed out that Robbie is (obviously) way too attractive to play Joe, Moor responded, “Just look at her eyes, that’s the thing, if you look at her eyes, she has these eyes that are just like Joe’s… I think she would do a great job with it.”

It’s certainly an… interesting choice.

John Finlay

Joe's ex-husband, John Finlay, has expressed that he wants Channing Tatum or Shia LaBeouf to play him in the miniseries. Yeah... we don't exactly see the resemblance either. But John has a heartfelt reason for suggesting the Magic Mike actor.

"He's always had a special place in my heart," Finlay told People. "He did a shout-out to my distant cousin; she died of stage-four brain cancer."

And it turns out Dax Shepard also thinks Tatum would be perfect for the role.

Great casting. And @channingtatum as my toothless first husband.

— dax shepard (@daxshepard) March 26, 2020

Doc Antle

The role of Doc Antle is still yet to be cast but celebrities like Will Ferrell, Jim Gaffigan and John C. Reilly are a few of the names that fans have nominated to play the mysterious big cat enthusiast.

“I heard John C. Reilly should play Doc Antle, I like that one a lot,” podcast host Robert Moor said.

Actor Justin Long on the other hand has nominated American comedian Jim Gaffigan, telling Dax Shepard they can "sit next to each other at the Oscars” if he lands the role of Joe Exotic.

And if @JimGaffigan plays Baghavan “Doc” Antle you can sit next to each other at the oscars!

— Justin Long (@justinlong) March 26, 2020

When will it be released?

So far, the project is in the early days of production and a release date is yet to be announced. But given all the hype around Tiger King, there's a good chance we won't have to wait too long for the miniseries to hit our screens.

Feature Image: Getty/Netflix.

Who do you think should play Joe Exotic in the upcoming miniseries? Let us know in the comments below. 

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