While Netflix initially announced Tiger King 2 would be out before the end of 2021 back in September, it wasn’t until a month later that we got an official trailer and November 17 release date.
That’s when Tiger King star Carole Baskin’s complaints about a second iteration of the viral Netflix hit turned into legitimate legal actions.
Before the official trailer and release date, Baskin spoke openly about her disdain for Tiger King and the fact that a second season was in the works. Calling the show’s producers liars and noting that people “love a good lie,” she sat down with Variety for a whole interview just to convey her disgust.
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Just over a week ago, following Netflix’s release of the Tiger King 2 trailer, Baskin filed a lawsuit against the streaming platform and Royale Good Productions. In the suit, Baskin alleges that “The Appearance Releases limited Royal Goode Productions’ right to use film footage of the Baskin to ‘a documentary motion picture’ … No mention is made of granting Royal Goode Production sequel rights, rights to create derivative works from ‘the Picture’ or additional seasons or episodes … By utilizing the film footage of the Baskin and Big Cat Rescue secured by Royal Goode Productions under the Appearance Releases in ‘sizzle reels’ and promotional trailers for the sequel entitled Tiger King 2, the Defendants are in breach of the terms of the Appearance Releases.”
However, in court documents obtained by People, Netflix and Royale Good maintain they were well within their rights to use footage of Baskin and her husband.
“Defendants did not need to obtain a release from Plaintiffs to use the footage in Tiger King 2 or its promotional trailers,” the documents say. “And there is nothing in any of the appearance releases that prohibits any use of the footage. Accordingly, Plaintiffs have no claim at all.”
Netflix, having already won a court battle with Baskin when a Florida judge denied her request for a restraining order to prevent the company from using footage of her and her property, seems to have the high ground in this legal battle, but what do you think? Should Baskin be left out of Tiger King 2, or does Netflix have the right to include her footage. Let us know in the comments.