So far the glare of fame has not dimmed for Paul the oracle octopus, who is continuing to be feted, written about, and not eaten weeks after his 8-0 World Cup prediction streak has come to an end. On Wednesday Paul was made an honorary citizen of the Spanish town of Carballino, in recognition of his heroism in WWII choosing Spain to win the World Cup. Among the gifts Paul received was a handsome Spain soccer jersey; No. 8, of course. Although how they explained to Spanish midfielder Xavier Creus that his jersey was being given to a mollusk is anyone’s guess. Also:
The aquarium also announced Thursday that Paul now has an agent and will be using his name to help endangered turtles on the Greek island of Zakynthos.
“It’s a great chance for an animal to help other animals,” said Chris Davis, Paul’s agent.
Yannis Vardakastanis of the environmental group Earth, Sea and Sky promised he will never eat octopus again if Paul raises enough money to build a rescue station for the turtles.
But the big news is the August release of the Chinese film Kill Paul Octopus. Yep.
The Chinese comic suspense film “Kill Paul Octopus,” about the well-known German psychic octopus known for his precognitive abilities will open in China in August, ifeng.com reports.
The film was shot simultaneously with the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. The cast has returned to Beijing to shoot the domestic scenes.
The film was originally named as “Ran Qing Shi Jie Bei” (The Legend of World Cup), but director Xiao Jiang changed the name when an octopus in Germany named Paul predicted the results of several football matches.
“We planned several topics to shoot about, like black horses, prediction results, gambling, misjudges, terrorism and football hooligans. And we chose to shoot the prediction results when the amazing prophet Paul appeared,” said Xiao Jiang.
You’ve overplayed your hand, China. If Paul can get an agent, he can certainly retain an attorney. Be prepared to get sued back to the Stone Age.
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Soccer oracle Octopus Paul honored by Spanish town [Associated Press]
Chinese Film “Kill Paul Octopus” Set for August Release [CriEnglish]
