Donald Trump will 'take a look' at possibility of pardon for Tiger King's Joe Exotic

U.S. President Donald Trump will "take a look" at calls to grant jailed Tiger King star Joe Exotic an early release from prison.

Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness follows the exploits of Joe, a prolific tiger breeder who once ran a zoo in Oklahoma, but was later sentenced to 22 years in prison for plotting to kill animal rights activist Carole Baskin and other wildlife violations.

After debuting on Netflix last month, the shocking programme became an instant hit with fans amid the coronavirus lockdown, having reached a U.S. TV audience of 34.3 million unique viewers within the first 10 days of its release, according to Nielsen estimates.

Following calls from the President's son, Donald Trump Jr., for the 57-year-old, real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage, to be pardoned, the politician was asked about the case during a press conference on Wednesday.

"I know nothing about it," he said. "He has 22 years for what - what did he do?"

Trump went on to ask reporters if they would "recommend a pardon," and added: "I'll take a look."

Tiger King has become a global phenomenon, with producers at 20th Century Fox reportedly in the early stages of planning a movie based on the series.

Speaking to People magazine, Joe's current husband Dillon Passage revealed that he wants Zac Efron to play him in the potential flick, with the 22-year-old citing the actor's "blue eyes, dark hair" and the fact he is "good-looking".

Several other spin-off projects are also said to be in the works - including one featuring Saturday Night Live star Kate McKinnon, who is attached to play Carole.