'Tiger King' Updates: Kate McKinnon Starring In TV Adaptation, Joe Exotic Lawsuit, And John Finlay's New Teeth
Everyone is talking about Tiger King, Netflix's incredibly weird and wild docu-series focused on Joe Exotic, a private zoo owner convicted of ordering the contract killing of an animal rights activist. Now, as more and more people are clued in to the show, updates are trickling out about the figures involved. First: news that slipped through the radar last year, but will likely catch everyone's attention now: Kate McKinnon is supposed to star in a TV adaptation of the story, playing Carole Baskin, the woman targeted for death. Then: the imprisoned Joe Exotic is filing a lawsuit from prison. And finally: John Finlay, one of Joe's husbands who worked at the zoo, has revealed he has a whole new set of teeth – a stark contrast to the mostly toothless appearance he displays in the docu-series.
Kate McKinnon As Carole Baskin
Before Tiger King there was Joe Exotic, a Wondery podcast that covered the same story. The podcast debuted last year, and with it came the news of a TV adaptation. And in November of 2019, Variety reported that Kate McKinnon was set to star in the series as Carole Baskin. Baskin runs Big Cat Rescue, and she's the mortal enemy of Joe Exotic. Baskin was heavily critical of Joe Exotic's Greater Wynnewood Exotic Animal Park, accusing the park and its employees of animal abuse. And as both Joe Exotic and Tiger King reveal, Joe didn't take very kindly to this. He had a YouTube show where he would constantly bash – and threaten – Baskin. And eventually he was arrested and tried for ordering a hit on Baskin – something he denies, claiming he was set up.
Anyway, like I said above, the news of McKinnon's casting was from November of last year, so it's unclear if she's still attached, or if this scripted version of the show is even moving forward. This isn't the first crazy-but-true story McKinnon has been drawn to, either: she's also set to play disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes in another TV show.
Joe Exotic Lawsuit
Meanwhile, TMZ says that Joe Exotic is filing a lawsuit from jail. Per their story:
Joe's suing the U.S. Department of Interior and the U.S. Federal Wildlife Service for placing the "generic tiger" on the endangered species list. Exotic claims this was done for the sole purpose of targeting businesses like his, and essentially...putting him out of business.
If you've watched Tiger King you can tell this is par for the course for Joe Exotic. In his mind, everyone is out to get him. In any case, he's seeking $78,840,000 for the loss of his personal property, and $15 million from various other people he claims set him up.
New Teeth For John Finlay
Finally, let's talk about John Finlay. Joe Exotic had multiple husbands (at the same time), and Finlay was one of them. He's seen all throughout Tiger King as a talking head, and the first things you notice about him (other than the fact that he never puts his shirt on) are his missing teeth. The few teeth he has left in his head are rotten and don't look long for this world.
Well, Finlay has revealed that's not the case anymore. He has a whole new set of pearly whites, and he actually claims he got them during the filming of Tiger King, and they even shot footage of him with his new teeth. But none of that footage made it into the finished doc. Why? That one will remain a mystery for the time being.