Who will star in ‘Tiger King’ movie? You can bet on it

Las Vegas Review-Journal

4 years ago

FILE - This file photo provided by the Santa Rosa County Jail in Milton, Fla., shows Joseph Mal ... — FILE – This file photo provided by the Santa Rosa County Jail in Milton, Fla., shows Joseph Maldonado-Passage, also known as “Joe Exotic.” Maldonado-Passage was convicted in an unsuccessful murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin, the founder of Big Cat Rescue, who he has repeatedly accused of killing her husband Jack ҄onӠLewis. Lewis’ unsolved 1997 disappearance and Maldonado-Passage’s accusations are the subject of new Netflix series Ҕiger King.Ӡ(Santa Rosa County Jail via AP, File)

FILE – In this Aug. 28, 2013, file photo, Joseph Maldonado answers a question during an interview at the zoo he runs in Wynnewood, Okla. Federal prosecutors on Friday, Sept. 7, 2018, announced that the zookeeper, also known as "Joe Exotic," and candidate for governor earlier this year, has been charged in a murder-for-hire scheme alleging he tried to hire someone to kill a Florida woman. Prosecutors allege Maldonado-Passage tried to hire two separate people to kill the woman, who wasn’t harmed. Maldonado-Passage finished third in a three-way Libertarian primary in June. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)

Who will be cast as Joe Exotic if the hit Netflix docuseries “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness” is made into a Hollywood movie?

Exotic (real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage) wants Brad Pitt or David Spade to play him, “Tiger King” co-director Rebecca Chaiklin told The Hollywood Reporter.

“He doesn’t refer to David Spade as David Spade — he refers to him as ‘Joe Dirt,’ ” Chaiklin said, referring to Spade’s 2001 comedy film.

Offshore sportsbook BetOnline.ag has posted odds on which actor will be cast as Exotic — the gay, polygamist former zookeeper from Oklahoma who’s in prison after being convicted in a murder-for-hire plot against animal rights activist Carole Baskin.

Spade is the 4-1 fourth choice to play Exotic in a movie. Kevin Bacon is the +150 favorite, followed by Ed Norton at +250 and Billy Bob Thornton at 3-1. Ben Stiller is the biggest long shot at 5-1. Pitt isn’t listed.

BetOnline also posted odds on who will play Baskin, tiger owner Doc Antle and Exotic’s former husbands, John Finlay and Travis Maldonado.

Kate McKinnon will portray Baskin in an upcoming miniseries, but the “Saturday Night Live” star isn’t one of the choices listed at BetOnline. Actress Wendi McLendon-Covey is the even-money favorite to play Baskin in a movie, followed by former “SNL” star Kristen Wiig and Allison Janney at 3-1. Laura Dern is a 6-1 long shot.

Will Ferrell is the +150 favorite to be cast as Antle, followed by Jim Gaffigan, Matt Damon and Shia LaBeouf at 3-1.

Leonardo DiCaprio is the +200 favorite to play Finlay, and Rami Malek is the +150 favorite to portray Maldonado, with James Franco the +200 second choice.

Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on Twitter.