Knut Goes Hollywood

The Berlin Zoo is about to make even more money off Knut, the once-adorable and now rather large polar bear cub raised by keepers from infancy after his mother rejected him. Hollywood is hoping to make an animated movie about Knut and his keeper Thomas Dörflein, and is ready to dole out $5 million (3.5 million euros) for the rights, Der Spiegel reports.

The zoo seems poised to accept, assuming the on-screen Knut is suitably friendly. The cub’s unique closeness with humans has caused some controversy, but fears that the now-grown Knut would harm Dörflein have so far proven unfounded, and the two still play together. The film will also touch on the global warming threatening Knut’s arctic brethren. (More Knut stories.)