Actor William Fichtner will replace actor Dennis Quaid to play Rick Kirkham in the upcoming series Joe Exotic. Quaid, who was previously announced as the series lead, had to step away due to scheduling conflicts. Fichtner will join the previously announced series leads Kate McKinnon, John Cameron Mitchell, Brian Van Holt, Sam Keeley, and Natt Wolff.
Joe Exotic is a story adapted from Tiger King’s Wondery Podcast of the same name that centers on Carole Baskin, a big cat enthusiast, who learns that Joe “Exotic” Schreibvogel, a fellow exotic animal lover, is breeding and using his big cats for profit. When she sets out to shut down his venture, it incites into a quickly escalating rivalry. However, when Carole’s checkered past comes back to haunt, Joe will stop at nothing to expose what he sees as her hypocrisy.
McKinnon, Cameron Mitchell, Van Holt, Keeley, and Wolff, will play Carole Baskin, Joe Exotic, John Reinke, John Finlay, and Travis Maldonado, respectively. The show has tapped Justin Tipping to direct the first four episodes.
Etan Frankel will serve as writer and executive producer under his overall deal with UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group. McKinnon executive produces along with Wondery’s Hernan Lopez, Marshall Lewy, and Aaron Hart. The show will be produced by UCP.