Nicolas Cage to play Tiger King's Joe Exotic in new TV show

Nicolas Cage is set to play the role of Joe Exotic, the subject of Netflix's hit documentary-series Tiger King, in a new scripted show.

The eight-episode series, which will have Cage serve as the executive producer, is based on Leif Reigstad's June 2019 Texas Monthly article, Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild, reported Variety.

CBS Television, which is producing the series along with Imagine Television, bought the rights to the article in 2019.

The makers have roped in American Vandal writer Dan Lagana to be the writer and showrunner of the series. He will also be attached to the series as its executive producer. 

The story focuses on around Joe Schreibvogel, aka Joe Exotic, an eccentric, exotic zookeeper in Oklahoma who fights to keep his park even at the risk of losing his sanity.

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, the synopsis read.

Incidentally, this project will mark the first regular television role of Cage's career.