Tiger King was crowned the show of quarantine. But, even months after its initial release, all of us cool cats and kittens are still clamoring to know: Is a second season in the works? The show’s blockbuster viewing numbers always hinted that more Tiger King would be tempting to the Netflix overlords. Turns out, that instinct was correct. Below, everything that’s been said about season 2 so far.
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Netflix has confirmed a second season of Tiger King.
For weeks after the first season’s mind-blowing takeover of pop culture conversation, any speculation about Tiger King season 2 was purely hypothetical. But there was plenty of reason to suspect viewers might be hungry for more:Deadline reported in April 2020 that Tiger King had been streamed over 5.3 billion minutes, according to Nielsen data. The Joel McHale-hosted reunion episode was watched by an average of 4.6 million viewers on its first day. And in its first 10 days of release, the show drew 34.3 million unique viewers, beating out Stranger Things 2.
Finally, in September 2021, Netflix officially announced a second season was on the way, featuring “just as much mayhem and madness as Season 1!” Like the first season, it will be directed by Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin.
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It premieres in November.
During the streamer’s first-ever global fan event, TUDUM, Netflix revealed season 2 will debut on November 17.
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The trailer teases more wild drama.
Netflix shared the official trailer on October 27, sharing a glimpse at new footage and discoveries about Tiger King‘s biggest players. The synopsis, according to the streamer:
With Joe Exotic behind bars and Carole Baskin closing in on ownership of his disreputable zoo, the Emmy-nominated saga continues its twisted course with Tiger King 2 as newfound revelations emerge on the motivations, backstories, and secrets of America’s most notorious big cat owners. Old enemies and frenemies, including Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson return for another season of murder, mayhem, and madness. Thought you knew the whole story? Just you wait.
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Producers feel that Tiger King is “a story that’s still unfolding.”
In a previous interview with Entertainment Weekly, Chaiklin first stoked speculation about more Tiger King. When asked about a second season she replied, “To be continued. I mean, yes, we have a crazy amount of footage, and it’s a story that’s still unfolding. We’re not sure yet, but there could be a follow-up on this story…and it’ll be just as dramatic and just as colorful as what has unfolded these past few years.”
There’s plenty of previously unseen footage that could appear in the second season.
As for the “crazy amount of footage” Chaikin alluded to, she and Goode said the documentary’s subjects are “so obsessed with filming themselves.” In an interview with Page Six, Goode reiterated this sentiment: “There are a lot of questions that people would like answered, and we will see if we can answer those. We do have a ton of footage,” he agreed. “We did film [more] after we locked picture. We did film the sentencing [of Joe Exotic] and John [Finlay] with his new teeth.”
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The G.W. Zoo is no more.
As for where the show could go next, Jeff Lowe is no longer at the helm of the G.W. Zoo. In fact, the zoo is now permanently closed to the public.
Netflix
Goode and Chaiklin told Entertainment Weekly in March that the park suffered under Lowe’s guidance. “All I can tell you is that he [Jeff Lowe] is basically operating on fumes,” Goode told EW. “No one is going now and there’s no source of income, and that’s been going on for a long time. It’s not something that has just happened because of what’s happening in the world today.” Sounds like a compelling plot for season 2, episode 1…
Doc Antle is unlikely to participate in a follow-up.
Although following the whereabouts of Doc Antle would make for intriguing TV, he’s not likely to sign on. Both the Myrtle Beach Safari co-owner released negative statements about Tiger King. On Myrtle Beach Safari’s Facebook account, Antle said he was “very disappointed” by the documentary. The post, written from the perspective of all his employees, stated: “We can only assume it is because Doc Antle has been such a high profile wildlife personality for so many decades that his association would create more buzz. It is important to understand that this series is not a documentary; it’s sensationalized entertainment with paid participants.”
Netflix
Big Cat Rescue co-owner, Carole Baskin, also posted a scathing review of the Netflix show on her blog. However, she does appear in the Tiger King 2 trailer.
When the directors of the Netflix documentary Tiger King came to us five years ago they said they wanted to make the big cat version of Blackfish (the documentary that exposed abuse at SeaWorld) that would expose the misery caused by the rampant breeding of big cat cubs for cub petting exploitation and the awful life the cats lead in roadside zoos and back yards if they survive. There are not words for how disappointing it is to see that the docuseries not only does not do any of that but has had the sole goal of being as salacious and sensational as possible to draw viewers.
Joe Exotic’s involvement is likely.
After all, it wouldn’t be Tiger King without the Tiger King. Although he’s currently serving time in prison (and failed to get a pardon from then-President Donald Trump), Exotic did get his original 22-year prison sentence shortened and seemed eager to participate in any further interviews or publicity. The official trailer proves he’ll appear in the new season, too.
What can I watch in the meantime?
As we await the arrival ofseason 2, there are several others hoping to get a piece of the Tiger King pie. ELLE.com has even submitted our picks for who should play the characters in a hypothetical biopic. Kate McKinnon is set play Carole Baskin in a TV adaptation of the Wondery podcast Joe Exotic: Tiger King, though a separate Nicolas Cage-led series series has decided not to move forward.
Perhaps the most curious adaptation is one supposedly involving Rob Lowe and Ryan Murphy. On April 6, 2020, he shared a photo of himself dressed as Joe Exotic. He captioned the Instagram post, “Rob Exotic. UPDATE: Ryan Murphy and I will be developing our version of this insane story. Stay tuned!” No such project has materialized in the months since Lowe dropped the photo, but in the world of Tiger King, you never know what might happen.
Savannah Walsh Editorial Fellow Savannah Walsh is an Editorial Fellow at ELLE.com. Lauren Puckett-Pope Associate Editor Lauren Puckett-Pope is an associate editor at ELLE, where she covers news and culture.
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