(L to R) Eddie Murphy and Paige Butcher attend the Netflix World Premiere of ‘You People’ on January 17, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Netflix.
Eddie Murphy has an established film franchise that, while it hasn’t always enjoyed critical success, still has a new entry on the way via Netflix. And as for animation? He’s a star of one of DreamWorks Animation’s most successful franchises, with constant chatter that he and his fellow voice actors will be back for another adventure.
We’re talking, of course, about the ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ and ‘Shrek’ movie, which have been popular for decades and earned huge amounts of money at the global box office.
You can imagine our surprise, then, that Murphy would seek to pursue a role that has been played to very varying fortunes by others, even given his history of taking on established characters (both the ‘Nutty Professor’ and ‘Doctor Dolittle’ movie series have done well for him in the past).
Yet he’s now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, in talks to play Inspector Clouseau in a new ‘Pink Panther’ movie.
“A Madcap Frolic Of Crime and Fun.”
69
1 hr 55 minMar 18th, 1964
What’s the history of the ‘Pink Panther’ films?
(L to R) Christopher Plummer as Sir Charles Litton, Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, and Catherine Schell as Lady Claudine Litton in ‘The Return of the Pink Panther.’
The ‘Panther’ movies, a series of comedy-mystery capers featuring an inept French police detective, Inspector Jacques Clouseau, kicked off in 1963 with ‘The Pink Panther’, starring Peter Sellers as Clouseau.
While the Pink Panther of the title is a rare, expensive gem that takes its name from a flaw at its core said to resemble a leaping panther, the movies also featured a cartoon panther in the opening credits. He became hugely popular himself, spinning off into a variety of TV series, movies and merchandise opportunities.
As for the Clouseau stories, nine movies were produced, mostly starring Sellers, though Alan Arkin played the character in 1968’s ‘Inspector Clouseau’, 1982’s ‘Trail of the Pink Panther’ utilized outtake footage of Sellers, ‘Curse of the Pink Panther’ in 1983 featured a bumbling American detective’ and 1993’s ‘Son of the Pink Panther’ saw Roberto Benigni as Officer Gambrelli, Clouseau’s illegitimate son.
In 2006, Steve Martin played the character for a reboot, which spawned its own sequel in 2009.
Steve Martin as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in 2006’s ‘The Pink Panther.’ Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures Releasing.
What is the new ‘Pink Panther’ movie about?
When it was first reported upon back in 2020, Deadline brought word that it would instead focus on the Panther character, with ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’s Jeff Fowler directing a script by Chris Bremner, that would see the Panther interacting with humans through a similar live-action/CG blend as featured in the two ‘Sonic’ movies.
Things would appear to have changed as development has moved along, with the concept retaining the human/CG mix but instead incorporating Clouseau in a buddy cop concept where he teams up with the Panther to solve a crime.
It’s all under the aegis of MGM, which is these days owned by Amazon, where Murphy had success with ‘Coming 2 America’, and that might explain why he’s been tempted to give the chaotic cop a try. We’ll see if he ends up actually starring.
As mentioned, Murphy has ‘Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley’ in post-production at Netflix and has been shooting Christmas comedy ‘Candy Cane Lane’ for Amazon.
(L to R) Jonah Hill (Writer-Producer) as Ezra, Nia Long as Fatima and Eddie Murphy as Akbar in ‘You People.’ Photo: Parrish Lewis/Netflix © 2023.
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