There are some characters in the universe of film that find their way coming back to the screen in new ways for new generations. James Bond might be the most prominent example, but there are a multitude more than that. One such character, even though he hasn’t been as prevalent lately, is that of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. The bumbling French detective was brought to prominence in a series of films starring the late legend, Peter Sellers. Soon, another legendary comedic figure will be coming into the role and putting his own spin on it, Mr. Eddie Murphy.
Sellers’ official last turn as Clouseau was back in 1982 in the posthumous release “Trail of the Pink Panther.” But that was made up of outtakes and cut scenes from previous adventures. It was an attempt to keep the franchise going but ultimately it, and some other attempts in 1983 and 1993 were met with failure. It wouldn’t be until 2006 when “The Pink Panther” successfully returned in a reboot with Steve Martin. Modestly successful, the 2009 sequel was a box-office bomb, killing off the franchise again despite Martin bringing his own wackiness to the role.
Fittingly, Martin and Murphy have previously worked together on the underrated classic “Bowfinger.” Murphy, like his former co-star, is a wonderfully expressive actor who can run the range of slapstick, to goofball, to wise-cracking with perfect ease.
“(I’ve) already started ‘Shrek 5.’ And I’m going to be — I’m Inspector Clouseau in the next ‘Pink Panther,'” Murphy told Al Roker during a visit to “The Today Show.” Roker was surprised, and double checked with him to clarify. Murphy confirmed, prompting Roker to ask if the character would still be French. “Maybe,” was Murphy’s reply. “Well, he has to be French, but he could also be Haitian. I will tell you, he’s Black. He’s Black, for sure.” We know Murphy could pull it off regardless of origin, the man is just as talented as he’s ever been, as evidenced from his appearance on the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special.
Is there room in today’s world for a “Pink Panther” reboot? We hope so. Murphy hasn’t always received the kind of parts that his level of talent deserves. The part of Inspector Clouseau though is ripe with comedic possibilities, physical and dialogue wise. We want to see the project come to fruition and look forward to updating you as we learn more in the months to come.
