Kyle MacLachlan, of Twin Peaks and Dune fame, has signed on to what is soon to be 1 of 3 adaptations on the story of Tiger King alongside Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon. That's not a sentence most people would expect they'd write. But it's real, and Peacock's Joe Exotic definitely looking to boast some real star power.
MacLachlan will play Howard Baskin, husband of big cats activist and nemesis of Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin. McKinnon will produce the series and play Carole Baskin while John Cameron Mitchell (Hedwig and the Angry Itch) will step into the role of Joe. It should be noted that Howard Baskin is Carole's current husband who serves as chairman of the advisory board for Big Cat Rescue, rather than Don Lewis, the husband that some allege was murdered by Carole.
RELATED: 'Army Of The Dead' And 'Tiger King' Have A Surprise Connection
News sources began reporting last year that NBC's streaming service Peacock were putting together their own take on the story that captivated Netflix users all over, but with more of a focus on Baskin than the eccentric Joe Exotic like Tiger King had. But even though the news only started to really circulate after Tiger King shot up in popularity, it turns out that this particular adaptation of the story has actually been in development since 2019. Unlike the Netflix series, which was a documentary itself, Peacock's Joe Exotic will actually be based on Wondery's Over My Dead Body podcast, which focused on the Tiger King himself and his attempt at murder-for-hire in its 2nd season.
Tiger King told such a compelling tale of the world of big cat conservation and collectors that apparently the world was instantly hungry for more. As a result, the Peacock series picked up steam and Amazon Prime obtained an upcoming series starring none other than Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic. Based on an article from Texas Monthly detailing the exotic animal collector's life, the Cage project will apparently tell the story from yet another unique perspective.
Many likely know MacLachlan from his role as FBI Special Agent Dale Cooper on Twin Peaks, including its 3rd season in 2017. Also starring in 1984's Dune and 1986's Blue Velvet, he earned a reputation as a long-time collaborator with truly unique filmmaker David Lynch. But he's shown plenty of more mainstream appeal as well, earning plenty of awards nominations over the years. That's not to say Lynch isn't mainstream, but he's certainly got a style all his own.
With all 3 of these retellings in the wild, the world will soon have all the information they could ever need about Joe Exotic and perhaps a touch extra. If nothing else, it will drive home why true crime podcasts seem to be enjoying their own little heyday right now.
Joe Exotic has not set a release date.
MORE: Is Classic Loki The MCU's Original God Of Mischief?
Source: Collider