Sony Pictures and Neal Moritz's Original Films are planning to turn the story of YouTube-sensation Christian the Lion into a major feature film.

Based on the 1972 book "A Lion Called Christian", the story follows John Rendall and Anthony "Ace" Bourke who bought a lion cub from a high-end London department store in 1969.

Soon he grew too big to keep around and the pair had to send him to Africa to be reintroduced into the wild. A year after that, a documentary was done following the two men to Africa to find the lion who'd become the head of a pride.

Told by everyone that he would not recognise them, the pair finally found the lion after a long search. He rushes toward them and affectionately "hugs" them and rubs against them.

That footage, set to Whitney Houston's rendition of "I Will Always Love You", became an Internet sensation. You can see for yourself below: