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Siegfried has ‘zero interest’ in ‘Tiger King’ sequel

Maybe you’re in the we-need-more-“Tiger King” camp. Possibly, too, you yearn for another retelling of the tragedy that closed Siegfried and Roy’s blockbuster show at the Mirage.

The “Tiger King” directors are counting on it.

Siegfried Fischbacher, however, is not in that camp. Nor was his performing partner, Roy Horn, who died of effects of COVID-19 on May 8 at age 75.

Nonetheless, “Tiger King” filmmakers are reportedly developing a sequel to its Netflix blockbuster documentary series. The single-episode special will delve into the night Oct. 3, 2003, when Horn suffered life-threatening injuries after being dragged off-stage by the white tiger Mantecore (then known as Montecore).

This won’t be an authorized effort. Siegfried and Roy spokesman Dave Kirvin said Saturday the legendary entertainers had “zero participation, interest or involvement” in the project. That statement holds true, individually, for Fischbacher.

The duo’s authorized biopic and minseries is moving forward, with Fischbacher working with Nico Hofmann and Sebastian Werniger of UFA Fiction on its final script.

The “Tiger King” is folded into the series widely known banner. Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, who directed the seven-part “Tiger King” series, are heading up the effort. The documentary produced a ratings bonanza for Netflix, drawing 34 million viewers in 10 days after premiering March 20. “Tiger King” spent most of the spring as the network’s top-rated series.

Expect, too, that former S&R animal handler Chris Lawrence will figure in the “Tiger King” sequel. Word of the new documentary surfaced after wildlife veterinarian Dr. James Liu, acting on behalf of the “Tiger King” directors, asked the Hollywood Reporter for Lawrence’s contact information.

THR, which exclusively interviewed Lawrence for a story published in March 2019, in turn broke the story about the new “Tiger King” doc. Lawrence was on stage when Horn fell and was overtaken by the 400-pound white tiger. The handler has said Horn’s own mishandling of the cat prompted the incident, disputing the duo’s contention that Mantecore clamped onto the entertainer as a protective move.

The “Tiger King” sequel is tacked onto a reported dramatic project led by Nicolas Cage, who would portray the series highly amplified central figure Joe Exotic. Also, none other than Murray Sawhcuck — Murray The Magician of Laugh Factory at Tropicana — has banked enough footage for a YouTube series about the zoo that was the backdrop of the Tiger King” melodrama.

Sawchuck this month visited Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park CEO Jeff Lowe and his wife, Lauren. That project is set to post June 3 on Sawchuck’s YouTube platform, the latest chapter in an adventure that seems to never end.

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His PodKats! podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.

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