If you’re a child of the ’80s and ’90s, certain pairings are instantly recognizable. One also conjures images of white tigers, lions, and sparkly outfits. That’s right, we’re talking about Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn, otherwise known as the magical duo of Siegfried & Roy. The two German entertainers delighted countless thousands with their combination of magic and animal acts. It was a tremendous rise to fame and a terrible ending. That story is soon to become a series at Apple TV+.
The chronicles of Siegfried & Roy have been retold in the form of a podcast called “Wild Things.” The eight-episode series talks about how the two got their start, some of the behind-the-scenes drama they faced, and eventually builds up to Horn’s tragic accident. If you don’t recall the circumstances that led to the end of Siegfried & Roy’s act, it was the result of one of their tigers turning on Roy and nearly killing him. The injuries would result in his life forever changing and the act closing for good.
The combination of the magic and the majestic animals, along with the flamboyant costumes and glamour made for an act that had a profound effect on the idea of what Las Vegas entertainment could be. It’s more than enough to make a series about, even before getting to the fact that the two of them were also a romantic couple. So yeah, there’s a lot going on with all of those elements, especially during a time period where homosexuality could be a career-ender.
Add it all together and it makes for gripping television. Which is exactly what Apple will be doing with Andrew Garfield and Jude Law. Garfield will be taking on the role of Roy, naturally leaving the role of Siegfried to Law. Behind the camera, in the role of producer, writer, and showrunner is John Hoffman (“Only Murders in the Building“).
You might be hard pressed to find people who will call Siegfried & Roy the greatest magicians of all time, but they were two of the greatest showmen the entertainment world had ever seen. This is also our chance to mention the limited series “Siegfried & Roy: Masters of the Impossible,” which was a four-episode animated program that ran on Fox Kids and recasts the duo as fantasy heroes in a land of wizards and demons. It was like a ’90s fever dream. But you know, a more grounded look at their actual lives would be cool too.
The series does not yet have an air-date or any further information about how many episodes it will be, but it’s set to be an exclusive for Apple TV+.
