Everybody loves Knut, the polar bear at the Berlin Zoo, who turned one in December. Katie Holmes visited him with daughter Suri, Annie Leibovitz photographed him for the cover of Vanity Fair and a children’s book turned him into a literary hero (Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World.

So it’s no surprise that Hollywood is now interested in turning Knut’s life into an animated feature – starring one of his famous visitors. According to German newspaper B.Z., producer Ash R. Shah and his firm, The Animation Picture Company, which brought us the movie version of Garfield, offered the Zoo Berlin $5 million for the rights to Knut’s story.

“With his friendly character, he’s serves as an ambassador for the Earth’s problems – climate change and the melting polar ice caps. A movie about Knut would affect people all over the world,” Shah told the paper.

Heiner Klös, curator at the Zoo Berlin told People that the request was received but he didn’t like that the press was already involved. “I can confirm that we received the offer and that we are giving it due consideration,” he said. “When we have come to a decision, then we will handle the matter discreetly.”

Shah added of his plans, “I see the heartwarming relationship between Knut and his caretaker, Thomas Doerflein at the center of the movie … Suri [Cruise] could speak the English voice of Knut.”

Knut has been raised by Doerflein at the zoo since his mother rejected him at birth on Dec. 3, 2006. And no, Shah hasn’t heard from Suri’s agent yet.

Source

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