Dax Shepard and Ed Norton Get Claws Out Over Playing Joe Exotic from Tiger King

Hollywood appears to be completely enamored with “Tiger King” — much like the rest of us holed up during the coronavirus lockdown — as actors clamor to be cast in a feature film version of the Netflix documentary.

Dax Shepard and Ed Norton were just two of the celebrity heavyweights ready to throw their hats in the ring to play the larger-than-life big cat breeder, Joe Exotic, and they hilariously went at it on social media to see who would get first dibs.

“If I don’t get cast as Joe Exotic in the eventual biopic, Hollywood is broken,” Shepard tweeted on Wednesday. A day later, Norton replied, “Um, step aside, pal. You’re way too young and buff and you know it.”

If I don’t get cast as Joe Exotic in the eventual biopic, Hollywood is broken.

— dax shepard (@daxshepard) March 26, 2020

“You could probably pull off Maldonado still, actually. Wouldn’t that be fun?” the “American History X” star added, referring to one of Exotic’s husbands, Travis Maldonado, from the true-crime series, who… well, we won’t give any spoilers away.

Shepard then took aim, as he alluded to the extremes he would go to in channeling the flamboyant zoo keeper, much like Christian Bale in 2004’s “The Machinest,” where the English actor reportedly dropped 60 pounds for the role.

“I’ll go ‘Machinest’ for this,” he shot back at Norton.

Um, step aside, pal. You’re way too young and buff and you know it. You could probably pull off Maldonado still, actually. Wouldn’t that be fun?

— Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton) March 26, 2020

At this point, Justin Long chimed in, posting “And if @JimGaffigan plays Baghavan ‘Doc’ Antle you can sit next to each other at the oscars!”

“Great casting. And @channingtatumas my toothless first husband,” Shepard quipped, offering the “Magic Mike” vet to play Exotic’s main squeeze, John Finlay.

Dane Cook, however, tried to assure everyone that the casting was in the can as he wrote, “I already got asked but I’m sure there is a villain role supporting me we could slot you in. #howdareyou.”

And if @JimGaffigan plays Baghavan “Doc” Antle you can sit next to each other at the oscars!

— Justin Long (@justinlong) March 26, 2020

Great casting. And @channingtatum as my toothless first husband.

— dax shepard (@daxshepard) March 26, 2020

But Shepard may have trumped them all when he shared a fantastic snap of Exotic hugging a tiger with the actor’s face photoshopped into it.

“This is a great first step,” he captioned it.

The epic Twitter battle comes after the news Kate McKinnon will be playing Exotic’s arch enemy, Carole Baskin, for a limited series on Netflix. The “SNL” star must have known the intense saga would make Hollywood drool, as she bought the rights to the story last year.

This is a great first step. https://t.co/wcwuVNCcaZ

— dax shepard (@daxshepard) March 26, 2020

Even “The Bachelor” star Nick Viall got in the mix of the casting frenzy, as he responded to a tweet suggesting he, Steve Carell, Annette Benning, Tim Robbins, Dave Bautista and Mick Jagger be part of the sure-fire hit.

“Let me get this straight… I’m in Throuple with Steve Carell and Dave Baustista? Where do I sign?”

Hollywood, it’s your move.

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