Return of the 'Tiger King': Netflix sets follow-up episode

A new episode of Netflix's popular "Tiger King" will air this weekend, the company said Thursday.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - A new episode of Netflix s wildly popular "Tiger King" will air this weekend, the company said Thursday, bringing fans up-to-date with the lives of the smash hit zookeeper documentary s surreal subjects.

The series about a gay, mullet-wearing private zoo owner who calls himself "Joe Exotic" -- now in prison for murder-for-hire -- has become a US cultural phenomenon, providing welcome relief to a nation under coronavirus lockdown.

Exotic and his menagerie of giant cats were watched a reported 34 million times in just 10 days following its release last month, and the show s impact has even reached the White House.

President Donald Trump this week offered to "take a look" at granting a pardon to Exotic -- real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage -- following a light-hearted exchange with a reporter at a press briefing.

Netflix confirmed in a tweet Thursday that "The Tiger King and I", billed as an "after show" hosted by Joel McHale ("Community"), will premiere Sunday.

"I talked to a lot of people involved in the project," said McHale in a video, naming Exotic s ex-husband John Finlay, former zoo manager John Reinke, and Joshua Dial -- who ran the zookeeper s bizarre and ultimately doomed bids for political office.

The show will explore "what s happened in their lives since the release of the series," said McHale. "It s eye-opening and hopefully funny."

There was no mention of whether the Tiger King himself will appear -- Exotic is currently serving a 22-year sentence in federal prison.

But Netflix this month published clips of a video of Exotic speaking from prison, in which he said his confinement had made him ashamed of keeping animals in prolonged captivity.

"When I walk out of here, am I gonna be as crazy as I was before? That will never change," promised Exotic.

"No Joe Exotic no party," tweeted one fan.