- The Washington Times - Monday, May 4, 2020

Nicolas Cage has answered the “Tiger King” call by Imagine Entertainment and CBS Studios.

The man who played Cameron Poe (“Con Air”), Castor Troy (“Face/Off”), Johnny Blaze (“Ghost Rider”) and a host of other diverse characters is ready to take on Joseph Maldonado-Passage, aka “Joe Exotic” of the hit Netflix series.

Variety exclusively reported Monday that Mr. Cage inked an eight-episode deal based on Leif Reigstad’s Texas Monthly article titled “Joe Exotic: A Dark Journey Into the World of a Man Gone Wild.”

Maldonado-Passage is serving a 22-year prison sentence due to a murder-for-hire plot against fellow big-cat owner Carole Baskin, in addition to endangering animals.

“Tiger King” exploded in popularity after its March 20 launch on Netflix and tallied over 34 million viewers within 10 days.

Variety noted that Mr. Cage’s involvement will mark the first regular television role of the celebrity’s career.

• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.

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