Joe Exotic Has Issued His Verdict On The Two (Very Different) Actors Who He Wants For A ‘Tiger King’ Film

Netflix’s Tiger King was always going to draw an audience, and the effect was only amplified by the stay-at-home confines of a pandemic. Quite simply, the show arrived at a time when Joe Exotic’s nefarious shenanigans acted as the ultimate distraction. From all accounts, attempted murder-for-hire felon Joseph Maldonado-Passage is enjoying all the attention from afar (that’d be a Texas penitentiary at present), and he’s hoping for even more fame. In fact, he’s in favor of seeing his likeness continue onscreen (perhaps beyond the scripted limited series starring Kate McKinnon that’s currently in the works), but he’s got preferences.

Sorry, Edward Norton and Dax Shepard. Joe Exotic has spoken from behind bars to Tiger King co-director Rebecca Chaiklin, who passed on word to Hollywood Reporter that Maldonado-Passage “would like Brad Pitt or David Spade to play him.” And as strange as it sounds to place those two actors in the same category, Exotic doesn’t even seem to be aware of Spade’s real name.

“He doesn’t refer to David Spade as David Spade,” Chaiklin revealed. “[H]e refers to him as ‘Joe Dirt.'” Well, then. Just for comparison’s sake, let’s do this.

— Jack, like Costeau (@jacquesdem) March 26, 2020

Twitter heavily favored Spade, who is definitely aware of the situation. The Just Shoot Me star retweeted a clip of himself speaking with Saff Saffery (from Tiger King, c’mon), who also suggested Spade for the role. In response, Spade laughed.

— David Spade (@DavidSpade) March 28, 2020

Poor Nic Cage, Danny McBride, and Tom Lennon. They’d also make fine candidates, but it looks like this is all on Spade, but only if Spade wants the role. It doesn’t sound like he does, and Brad Pitt’s radio silent on the subject. Meanwhile, Tiger King is currently streaming on Netflix.