Louis Theroux: Joe Exotic in "extraordinary situation". Everything we know so far about Theroux's new Tiger King Doc

Louis Theroux’s new documentary, called ‘Shooting Joe Exotic’ will “set out to understand who the real Joe Exotic” is, 10 years on from when the he first met Exotic.

The BBC filmmaker will be following the story on from the worldwide success of 2020’s Netflix documentary.

The documentary is on BBC Two tonight (5 April) at 9:00pm.

Here’s everything you need to know about Louis Theroux’s new Joe Exotic documentary.

What is the Shooting Joe Exotic about?

In the latest Joe Exotic documentary, Louis Theroux will be investigating the story of how Joe Exotic became one of the most controversial and captivating icons of recent times.

Theroux met the controversial former tiger park owner 10 years ago, while making the BBC film America’s Most Dangerous Pets.

Returning to Oklahoma, after responding to a direct call from Joe Exotic to tell the ‘real story’, Theroux will explore the saga of the animal hoarder turned convicted felon.

Looking back at his original documentary, Theroux will reflect on hours of unseen footage and set out to understand who the real Joe Exotic is and how he used his considerable charm and wiles to assemble a vast menagerie of animals and humans, all roped into a grand project of vanity and deception.

Meeting old friends and family members of Joe’s, viewers will see Louis pick apart the true crime story of how Joe came to be convicted.

In the documentary he will dig deep into Joe’s family, unearthing the origin story of his pathology and laying bare an only-in-America saga that is part crime story, part media story, part animal rights story, but ultimately a 21st-century fable of a cowboy-cum-cult leader whose very fragility became a source of power - a power which, in some respects, persists to this day.

What has Louis Theroux said about the documentary?

The filmmaker has said he wants to present a version of Joe Exotic with less “caricature” in his new documentary.

Therous said: “It’s an extraordinary situation Joe is in now. He’s one of the most famous people in the world, arguably.

“He’s an internet icon. Carole is also extremely famous. I think that’s testament to the series and also lockdown and the collective madness of that period of time.

“But it’s a mixed blessing because there’s a tendency to see them as fictional characters … whereas they are real people involved in a real crime.

“So what I’ve tried to do with this new documentary is try and present versions of people that are close to the truth and a bit less caricature-ish.”

Who is Joe Exotic?

Joe Exotic, aka the Tiger King, shot to fame in 2020 after the Netflix Documentary ‘Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness’, became a worldwide phenomenon.

The documentary followed Joe Exotics journey from tiger zoo owner, to convicted felon.

The zoo owner, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, is currently in prison after his conviction on charges that he participated in a murder-for-hire plot of Big Cat Rescue boss Carole Baskin and violated federal wildlife laws.

Since the airing of the Netflix documentary, Joe became a media phenomenon, the object of international obsession for pundits, celebrities and viewers, and a well-funded campaign team attempting to win him a presidential pardon.

When is Shooting Joe Exotic airing?

Shooting Joe Exotic will air on BBC Two on 5 April 2021 at 9:00pm.

The documentary is feature length, lasting one hour and 29 minutes.

The documentary will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer after it has aired.