The Tiger King story isn’t one that occurred in a vacuum—as series co-creator Eric Goode makes clear, his work as a wildlife philanthropist is still needed. It’s why Tiger King’s new episode on the Siegfried and Roy attack is already in the works, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Like this incident, other instances of animal abuse can get lost in larger narratives—so Goode is setting out to change that.
We briefly encountered the infamous Siegfried and Roy story in Tiger King season 1, where viewers learned of an incident which left Roy Horn—co-host of the pair’s Las Vegas act—permanently injured. In 2003, Horn was mauled and dragged off stage by a white tiger in front of a live audience. The attack resulted in a host of injuries, including a severed spine—leaving the duo with no choice but to cancel their show, and careers, indefinitely. But there’s more to the story than this tragic end. And according to one source with THR, we’re about to find out the truth soon.
Dr. James Liu, a wildlife vet and field biologist, had some things to say about the forthcoming episode. And that’s because Liu isn’t just any vet; he also serves as a member of Tiger King’s production team, as well as the associate director of the Turtle Conservancy—a.k.a. the conservation organization started in 2009 by Tiger King co-creator Eric Goode. According to THR, Liu reached out to the outlet for contact information on Chris Lawrence, Siegfried & Roy’s former tiger handler (who THR previously profiled in March 2019 as having suffered PTSD following the incident).
Image: Netflix.
Liu reportedly seemed to suggest that a new episode featuring the Las Vegas duo was currently in the works, as per correspondences shared with THR. He also said that Goode and his production team hoped the episode “would specifically act as a higher-minded corrective to both the original seven-episode series as well as comedian Joel McHale’s aftershow special, the latter of which was not produced by the filmmakers,” writes THR.
While Netflix has yet to confirm the episode as either a standalone or follow-up in season 2 of Tiger King, it’s clear that co-creator Goode is looking to set things straight. Whether production will be paused following the recent news of Horn’s passing at the age of 75 is also left to be determined.
Tiger King Season 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
