Netflix wants to build on the global success of the documentary series “Tiger King” and is following it up with a second part. The trailer looks promising.
Scotts Valley – There’s no denying that the Netflix documentary series “Tiger King” became a phenomenon when we all needed some distraction. In March 2020 the world suddenly came to a standstill due to Corona and everyone was watching “Tiger King” – and nobody could believe what madness was spreading on the screen.
The eccentric life of Joe Exotic is shown in seven episodes, from founding his zoo to his imprisonment and sentencing to 22 years in prison for contract killing of his rival Carole Baskin and violations of the animal welfare law. The documentary was shot over a period of five years from 2015 and shows the story using archive material and interviews.
The documentary series is particularly dedicated to the conflict with Carole Baskin, the chairman of the non-profit organization Big Cat Rescue, which accused exotic animal cruelty and mobilized its supporters against him. In return, Joe Exotic accused her of being responsible for the death of her second husband, the multimillionaire Don Lewis, and threatened her several times until the contract murder was finally granted.
There was also a mysterious fire, a suicide that might have been an accident, unfortunate love stories, fraud – this documentary had it all.
“Tiger King 2” on Netflix: It’s getting wild again
“Tiger King” was viewed from 64 million user accounts on Netflix in the first four weeks. Netflix is optimistic that it can build on the world phenomenon. The sequel to “Tiger King” will be released on November 17th. In preparation, Netflix published the first “Tiger King 2” trailer on Wednesday (October 27th, 2021). And it’s getting wild again.
With “Tiger King 2”, Netflix allegedly wants to reveal even more errors and conspiracies in the saga of Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. The trailer shows clips of Joe Exotic in prison. In excerpts from phone calls, his voice can be heard annoying those who have become rich through the success of the documentary, while he is forced to ask for a pardon from then President Donald Trump. In a quick sequence of pictures you can see Jeff Lowe, who had already taken over the zoo from Joe Exotic in the first part of the documentary, a lot of bling bling, pictures of Joe Exotic and also a fade-in of Donald Trump.
“Tiger King” Joe Exotic and the deal with the devil
The second season of the documentary series also seems to delve deeper into the mystery of the disappearance and death of Carole Baskin’s ex-husband Don Lewis, with an unspecified voice referring to Baskin: “Carole knows something,” she says. You can then see clips of law enforcement interviews that link Lewis with “shady characters” in Costa Rica. The trailer ends on an ominous note, with Exotic suggesting that he may have to “make a deal with the devil” to get out of jail – with a take of Baskin wearing tiger earrings.
It will be interesting to see what Netflix will reveal this time around the Tiger King, who is now behind bars, and Carole Baskin, whose innocence in the disappearance of her husband never came across as completely believable for viewers. (Sonja Thomaser)
