Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic. This isn’t a joke – the beloved king of corniness will play the embodiment of the disastrous 2020. Are Emmys ready for this?
About a month ago, just about time when people were shut in their homes due to the corovnavirus pandemic, Netflix premiered its documentary series Tiger King (2020). Eight episodes in total broke out as Netflix top of the year, doubling the number of streamed minutes of second Ozark.
Given the enormous success of Tiger King (2020), a sequel, season 2, or any kind of follow-up was inevitable. However, never in my wildest dreams, could I imagine legendary Nic Cage play Joe Exotic. However, this is actually great news.
Is Nicolas Cage a good cast as Joe Exotic?
Nicolas Cage is known as one of the most batshit crazy, unhinged characters in Hollywood. Once an Oscar-winning actor, Mr. Cage delved into the area of trashy B-movies, was crowned as the meme king thanks to a bunch of iconic moments he delivered on-screen, and became a kind of cult figure.
The rough patches in Cage’s career enriched his acting skills… sort of
Certainly, there’s a deeper layer to him being cast as Joe Exotic too. Just like Joe Exotic, Cage had his share of rough times in life. On the first day of filming of Con Air (1997), one of Cage’s most recognizable (and meme-able) roles, the actor suffered from a stroke. Despite the severe medical condition, he didn’t refuse to play, and in fact, turned the issue into a character trait.
That’s not all. Throughout his career, Nicolas Cage reportedly claimed he’s an FBI agent due to a severe delusional disorder. Other than that, Cage’s mental problems included alcohol addiction too.
These experiences are scary, and it’s sad to find out so much pain behind the career of our beloved Nic Cage. Thankfully, all those obstacles might have led him to this role. If given the right man to direct him – Cage will create a full-fledged character study, and bring the instability and madness of Joe Exotic.
Furthermore, while most of his movies were crap, Cage recently embarked on a journey of indie films exploration too. This, in fact, resulted in a few great roles – most notable was his performance in blood-soaked Mandy (2018). When it comes to actors, who lose themselves in madness, Nic is the top-notch choice. And let’s be honest – to play Joe Exotic, you need to be prepared for sacrifices.
Joe Exotic’s life wasn’t a bed of roses either. According to Tiger King (2020), he attempted a suicide, witnessed the death of his brother, and went through a mental breakdown, which eventually led him to becoming Joe Exotic. Therefore, the crazy zookeeper, who now serves a sentence on accounts of murder attempt, as well as animal abuse, fits the borderline type of character that Mr. Cage loves the most.
What’s the series about exactly?
The plot of this series starring Nicolas Cage will be based on an article entitled Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into The World of a Man Gone Wild, written by Leif Reigstad.
The series about Joe Exotic is going to take the viewers back to the time before Joe Schreibvogel became Joe Exotic. In fact, the pinnacle of the series will probably be this transition.
Who will produce this new series starring Nicolas Cage then?
Rumor has it that CBS Television Studios might be acquiring the series and produce it. The second name thrown around is Netflix. While the streaming platform would be an obvious choice, the discussion is still open.
What are your thoughts about Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic? Blast off in the comments!
More reads:
- Read Cultural Hater’s analysis of Tiger King (2020) here
- Read the review of Color Out Of Space (2019), a Lovecraftian horror film starring Nicolas Cage
