Tiger King season 2: release date, trailer and latest news for Joe Exotic doc
Everything you need to know about the return of the hit Netflix docuseries.
The second season of Tiger King arrived on Netflix yesterday, with the docuseries checking in with Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin and the rest of the cast after the events of season one.
The five-part series quickly shot to the number one streaming spot on Netflix's homepage after debuting, as fans dove back into the world of big cat private zoos and their eccentric owners in the US.
Season one originally focused on the rivalry between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, with Exotic eventually jailed after being convicted of a murder-for-hire plot against her – while season two looks at the efforts of Exotic's fans to get him out of jail and explores further theories around the disappearance of Baskin's first husband Don Lewis.
Read on for everything you need to know about Tiger King 2.
Tiger King 2 release date
CONFIRMED: Tiger King 2 arrived on Netflix on Wednesday, 17th November.
Episodes were available to stream from 8am (BST).
Tiger King 2 cast
The second season of Tiger King features a number of characters, some we've seen before in the first series and some we meet for the very first time in this docuseries sequel.
The cast of Tiger King 2 includes:
- Joe Exotic – the now-incarcerated founder of G.W. Zoo
- John Reinke – the former manager of G.W. Zoo
- Kelci 'Saff' Saffery – a former zookeeper at G.W. Zoo
- Erik Cowie – a former zookeeper at G.W. Zoo
- Dillon Passage – Joe's ex-husband
- Jeff Lowe – the owner of G.W. Zoo and new zoo Tiger King Park
- Lauren Lowe – Jeff Lowe's wife
- Allen Glover – Jeff Lowe's employee and the alleged hitman hired in the Carole Baskin murder-for-hire plot
- Tim Stark – the founder of Wildlife in Need
- John Phillips – the lawyer originally hired by Don Lewis's family who ends up representing Joe Exotic
- James Garretson – an associate of Jeff Lowe's
Carole Baskin and her husband Howard Baskin appear in the documentary, however as they refused to take part in season two, all footage of the Big Cat Rescue owners is either archive footage or publicly available clips.
Tiger King 2 trailer
Netflix released the first trailer for Tiger King 2 on Wednesday 27th October.
You can watch the full clip below.
What is Tiger King 2 about?
The series picks up right where we left off, looking into the plot to have Carole Baskin killed. Joe Exotic was convicted for the murder-for-hire plot in 2019.
Joe's business partner turned foe Jeff Lowe will also take centre stage in the second instalment.
In a statement, Netflix revealed: "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."
In May 2020, one of the subjects of the first series, John Reinke, told The Mirror there were still hundreds of hours of unseen footage.
He said: "There's so much more content that needs to be in there and I know Netflix have footage for two or three more episodes...the network said they are going to be in touch with me about it."
Reinke added: "Joe had a bunch of directors through the zoo at various points and they took the footage with them. They filmed everything and took what they had on video with them. That footage is also likely to surface at some point."
Earlier the show's producers Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin had discussed the potential future of the show, indicating the whole story had not yet been told.
When asked about the show's plot, Chaiklin responded: "To be continued," before adding: "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 because there's a lot that's still unfolding in it, and it'll be just as dramatic and just as colourful as what has unfolded these past few years."
According to The Hollywood Reporter, wildlife veterinarian Dr James Liu – who indicated he was a member of Tiger King's production team – told the publication that a sequel was in the works under the series name.
Liu hinted there was more to be told around the 2003 tiger attack that ended magicians Siegfried and Roy's Las Vegas show.
Before Netflix announced the return of the series, Joe Exotic's husband Dillon Passage confirmed they were already filming for Tiger King 2.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain in August 2020, Dillon revealed: "I've done a little bit of filming for that [season two].
"I do not know the release date but it's going to be very interesting because it will tell a little bit of Joe's arrest and afterwards."
Dillon added: "I know there's going to be some phone call recordings of Joe that is going to be in it. There is no filming since he's incarcerated."
Reinke has indicated several other people have been affected by Exotic's actions who weren't mentioned in the first season, claiming, "There's quite a lot of lives been turned upside down and I really don't think it's over yet. There's going to be more lives turned upside down out of this deal."
Meanwhile further episodes could also explore some unanswered questions from the first run, including the fates of Jeff Lowe and Doc Antle.
Jeff Lowe ended up buying Joe's zoo after he was arrested, while Doc Antle - who is the founder and director of The Institute for Greatly Endangered and Rare Species, also known as T.I.G.E.R.S., in Myrtle Beach, Florida - still runs his business and is said to make a pretty good fortune from it, so both stories could be ripe for further exploration.
Meanwhile, Exotic's husband Dillon Passage suggested we could hear the Tiger King himself from prison via phone calls - this wouldn't be the first time a Netflix series has done this as Making A Murderer previously used phone calls from its subject, Steven Avery.
Tiger King 2 cast
The newly-released Tiger King 2 trailer revealed which cast members would be returning for the second series.
In addition to Joe, the trailer featured people like Jeff Lowe, Tim Stark, Allen Glover, and James Garretson discussing how life has changed for them since the first series.
Carole Baskin also featured in the clip in throwback footage.
We also got a glimpse at a host of new faces and experts but one star who wasn't spotted in the trailer was fan favourite Saff.
Will Carole Baskin be in Tiger King 2?
Joe wasn't the only stand-out star from series one of the doc, with animal rights activist and Joe's nemesis Carole Baskin achieving worldwide recognition for her part in the documentary.
Following the series, Baskin went on to appear onto the American version of Strictly Come Dancing, Dancing with The Stars, and she was also tipped to appear on the UK’s I’m A Celebrity.
Baskin – who is the owner of Big Cat Rescue – has been highly critical of the series during which her rival accused her of killing her husband (allegations she has vehemently denied).
Viewers will not see Joe’s rival Carole Baskin in Tiger King 2.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com in February 2021, Carole Baskin explained why she’s refused to appear in Tiger King season 2.
She said the team behind Tiger King, directors Eric Goode and Rebecca Chaiklin, reached out about a follow-up.
“It was just a few weeks ago that Rebecca Chaiklin had reached out asking if we could clear the air. I have been speaking about how we had been so misled into thinking this was going to be the Blackfish for big cats and then it turned out to be the freak show that they produced,” she explained.
“So when she said she wanted to clear the air, I felt like, you know, that’s just absolutely ridiculous. It was so obvious that I had been betrayed by them. Why would she ever think that I would be willing to speak to them again. And so I told her to just lose my number.”
It was later revealed that Baskin was suing Netflix and a production company over its documentary sequel Tiger King 2, claiming that the streaming service has used footage of her without permission.
In a contract lawsuit filed in Florida, she says that the appearance release documents that Baskin and her husband signed allowed production company Royal Goode to use their footage only for the "single, initial documentary", not inclusive of any future projects.
The lawsuit read: "No mention is made of granting Royal Goode Production sequel rights, rights to create derivative works from ‘the Picture’ or additional seasons or episodes."
It continued: "By utilising the film footage of the Baskins and Big Cat Rescue secured by Royal Goode Productions under the Appearance Releases in ‘sizzle reels’ and promotional trailers for the sequel entitled ‘Tiger King 2,’ the Defendants are in breach of the terms of the Appearance Releases.”
With this complaint, Baskin and her husband hoped to prevent the release of Tiger King 2, but federal Judge Virginia M Hernandez Covington denied their request for a temporary restraining order just hours later.
"While the Court understands the Baskins’ frustration, it does not appear that inclusion of Defendants’ footage of the Baskins will cause any immediate harm that cannot be compensated with monetary damages," she said.
“Importantly, the Court merely finds that the Baskins are not entitled to the extraordinary remedy of a temporary restraining order, which would be entered before Defendants have had an adequate opportunity to respond."
Judge Hernandez Covington took "no position" on whether the Baskins could establish entitlement to a preliminary injunction, referring the matter to Magistrate Judge Thomas G Wilson, meaning the dispute is far from settled.
RadioTimes.com reached out to Netflix and Royal Goode for comment on the matter, but they have yet to respond.
What happened in Tiger King?
The first season looked at the controversies surrounding people who own big cats, including lions and tigers, with the focus mainly on Joe Exotic - the Tiger King.
The documentary promised to show how “the only thing more dangerous than a big cat is its owner".
Joe Exotic is currently serving a 22-year prison sentence for the murder-for-hire plot against Carole Baskin and multiple animal abuse charges.
Want more Tiger King content?
- Who was Erik Cowie? Tiger King 2 ends with tribute to zookeeper
- What happened to Carole Baskin's husband Don Lewis?
- Tiger King 2: Is it worth watching?
- What happened to Joe Exotic's zoo in Tiger King?
Tiger King 2 is coming will arrive on Netflix on Wednesday, 17th November. Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness is available to stream on Netflix. You can also check out the best best series on Netflix and best movies on Netflix to keep you entertained or visit to our TV guide for more to watch.
