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During the early days of COVID-19 lockdowns, streaming shows provided entertainment and distraction for many. One popular series during this time was “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” a documentary about Joe Exotic, a zoo owner entangled in a feud with Carole Baskin. The show brought Exotic into the spotlight, despite his incarceration for alleged actions against Baskin.
Amazon had plans to create a drama series based on Exotic’s life, with Nicolas Cage set to play the lead role. However, both Amazon and Cage have backed out of the project. Amazon realized that promoting a show about Exotic would essentially advertise Netflix’s “Tiger King,” their competitor. Interest in “Tiger King” has also waned since its initial release.
Nicolas Cage confirms he’s no longer playing Joe Exotic for Amazon’s Tiger King project after the company seemingly loses interest. https://t.co/7CT5SYMnar pic.twitter.com/fPm1id8AbK
— IGN (@IGN) July 14, 2021
In an interview with Variety, Cage mentioned that while he found the scripts compelling, Amazon decided the project had lost its relevance over time. They believed the initial excitement surrounding the series had faded and it was no longer a priority.
