Pink Panther movies rebooted again

Eddie Murphy is to play hapless Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie.

The 64-year-old comic confirmed that he would be stepping into the character made famous by Peter Sellers.

Speaking on NBC’s Today show, Murphy said that his plans to take things easy were not going well as he was about to make a  biopic of funk star George Clinton, has started work on Shrek 5, and added: ‘I’m Inspector Clouseau in the next Pink Panther.’

When interviewer Al Roker asked whether the detective would remain French, the comic replied: ‘Maybe. Well, he has to be French, but he could also be Haitian. I will tell you, he’s black. He’s black, for sure.’

Murphy would not be the first actor to try to emulate Sellers’ success. Alan Arkin played the role in a long-forgotten 1968 film; Roger Moore made a cameo in the role in original director Blake Edwards’s 1983 film Curse of the Pink Panther; and Steve Martin rebooted him in 2006 and a 2009 sequel. 

Published: 29 Jul 2025