Eddie Murphy Transforms into Cinema’s Most Iconic Detective After Beverly Hills Cop!

Inspector Clouseau is making a return to the big screen! 61 years after Blake Edwards’ film, “The Pink Panther” is gearing up for a revival! Eddie Murphy has been attached to this role since 2023, as we reported at the time. He recently confirmed on the Today Show (via Dark Horizons) that the project is still on track.

When asked about Clouseau traditionally being French in previous versions, Eddie Murphy stated: “He’s supposed to be French, but he could be Haitian too. I tell you, he’s black! Definitely black!“, he declared on the set of the Today Show.

The American comedian would thus follow in the footsteps of Steve Martin, who last portrayed the French inspector in Shawn Levy’s “The Pink Panther” (2006) and its sequel released in 2009.

The “Pink Panther” saga began in 1963 with Blake Edwards’ comedy where British actor Peter Sellers embodied Jacques Clouseau. Sellers reprised the role in “A Shot in the Dark” (1964), “The Return of the Pink Panther” (1975), “The Pink Panther Strikes Again” (1976), and “Revenge of the Pink Panther” (1978). This was followed by “Curse of the Pink Panther” (1983) with Roger Moore and “Son of the Pink Panther” (1993) with Roberto Benigni.

This project will be a reboot of the “The Pink Panther” franchise focused on the bumbling French detective and the titular character, who was initially just an animated character in an opening sequence.

The name “The Pink Panther” indeed refers to a valuable pink diamond that is central to a heist in the original film.

A Live-Action and CGI Film

Directed by Jeff Fowler, known for his work on the Sonic movies, this reboot is written by Chris Bremner (“Bad Boys for Life”, “The Man From Toronto”).

Similar to Sonic, this film will blend live-action footage with CGI. In this installment, the Inspector is expected to team up with the Pink Panther.

Famous for starring in comedies such as “Beverly Hills Cop”, “Coming to America”, “The Nutty Professor”, and “Dr. Dolittle”, Eddie Murphy is also in the news with “The Pickup” which will arrive in France on Prime Video on August 6th.

Moreover, Eddie Murphy has confirmed the continuation of the Shrek series, where he will continue to provide the voice for the character of Donkey. It will be the 5th film in the animated series.