Eddie Murphy has announced he will play Inspector Jacques Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie. This comes 16 years after the last attempt to revive the series. Murphy, known for Beverly Hills Cop, has reportedly wanted the part for years. He was even once set to star in the 2006 reboot, but that role eventually went to Steve Martin.
On the Today Show, Murphy shared, “I’m getting ready to do a George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic. I’m getting ready to do George Clinton. [I’ve] already started Shrek 5. And I’m going to be— I’m Inspector Clouseau in the next Pink Panther.” When asked if Clouseau will be French, Murphy replied, “Maybe,” and then said, “Well, he has to be French, but he could also be Haitian. I will tell you, he’s Black. He’s Black, for sure.”
Peter Sellers created the Clouseau character in 1963’s The Pink Panther, and there is no equal his version of the character, and A Shot in the Dark is a comedy classic. Steve Martin later played the detective in attempts to revive the story in both 2006 and 2009. They were unwatchable. Murphy now takes on the role after recent and upcoming roles in Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, Candy Cane Lane, and Coming 2 America. He is also working on The Pickup and a new Shrek movie.
The original Pink Panther followed a clumsy detective chasing a jewel thief after a priceless diamond. It was a massive hit. The 2006 film managed only 21%, and the 2009 sequel fell to 13%. People noticed that the clever humor that made the original special faded away. There’s no reason to believe this Murphy reboot will be any different.
Fire your agent. Please. https://t.co/mpl1Xgmk5j
— Christian Toto (@HollywoodInToto) July 28, 2025
Reports say Jeff Fowler, who directed Sonic the Hedgehog, will direct this new Pink Panther project with Murphy. Hollywood keeps recycling tired ideas. The last reboot flopped, and it’s hard to see Murphy’s version bringing anything fresh. The real question is why do studios keep rebooting this series with older actors who are not going to attract a new generation of fans, and the original fans will just watch the originals, like 1963’s original The Pink Panther or Shot in the Dark (1964).
This is just one more in a list of bad, unoriginal moves from studios looking for easy cash grabs instead of creativity.
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English (US) · 