It’s funny how the release of one wacky true-crime series can not only brighten our lives during this hard time, but change the way we look at a future movie production. Late last year, Kate McKinnon became attached to lead a limited series based on the second season of Wondery podcast Over My Dead Body. Ok, great. We all love McKinnon and it’ll probably be worth a look. But that podcast? It was based on Joe Exotic, the redneck entrepreneur and self-professed Tiger King who has become a phenomenon thanks to the Netflix series taking the country by storm.
McKinnon is set to play another of Tiger King‘s breakout wackos; Carole Baskin, the leopard print enthusiast, Big Cat Animal Rescue CEO, and possible murderer of her first husband. Baskin had made it her life’s mission to shut down Joe Exotic’s big cat zoo in Oklahoma, which led to all sorts of death threats, legal mumbo-jumbo, a couple of weird gay marriages, at least one amputation, some fraud, and that’s just the start of it. Honestly, if you haven’t watched Tiger King on Netflix you are missing out.
McKinnon will not only play Baskin but exec-produce the series. And all I need to do is imagine her uttering Baskin’s unforgettable “Hey there all you cool cats and kittens” and I know this is about as perfect as casting gets.
Now, as for who can play Joe Exotic, the mulleted, power-mad, rifle-sporting, cat breeding, gay (albeit married to two straight dudes), wannabe politician and all-around carnival barker, I can’t even imagine.
