Kate McKinnon’s Joe Exotic series is officially on the cross-platform prowl

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Who's ready to hear some grrrrrreat news? NBCUniversal is ready to show their stripes for Joe Exotic (working title), UCP’s limited series starring and executive produced by Kate McKinnon. The project, which has McKinnon starring in the role of crazy cat lady Carole Baskin, has received a joint straight-to-series order by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming divisions. In other words, when Joe Exotic is ready to go on the prowl, it'll do so on three different NBCU platforms including, NBC, Peacock, and USA.

Based on the second season of Wondery’s Over My Dead Body podcast, Joe Exotic is one of two projects currently in development that focuses on the real-life characters from Netflix's docuseries Tiger King. Oh, and just so you know, the other Tiger King series adaptation stars Nicolas Cage as Joe Exotic, so definitely keep your eye out for that delightful-sounding nonsense.

Etan Frankel will write and executive produce McKinnon's Joe Exotic thanks to his overall deal with series producer Universal Content Productions (UCP). If Frankel's name sounds familiar, it's because he's written for shows like FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS, SHAMELESS, ANIMAL KINGDOM, and Epix's GET SHORTY. 

Taking its cue from Wondery's Over My Dead Body podcast, Joe Exotic will revolve around Carole Baskin, a controversial cat enthusiast, who learns that competing exotic animal lover Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel is breeding and using his big cats for profit. In an effort to shut him down, Baskin ignites a rivalry that finds both cat lovers sharpening their claws and going for the jugular in and out of court. It's quite the tale to be certain, and you can learn all about it by watching Netflix's cringe-worthy docuseries, Tiger King.

Okay, who's excited about this series? I know I am. McKinnon is a tremendous talent overall, and I can't wait to see how hard in the paint she goes for the role of Carole Baskin. What do you think the prosthetic makeup will look like? How off the deep end will McKinnon go to best represent Baskin on screen? I can't wait to find out.