Hide the diamonds! Pink Panther is officially getting a reboot, with Eddie Murphy set to slip into the trenchcoat of Inspector Clouseau. The comedian confirmed the casting during an interview with TODAY promoting his new buddy comedy “The Pickup” co-starring Pete Davidson and Keke Palmer.
Talking about a list of his upcoming movies, the 64-year-old star casually dropped the news to interviewer Al Roker, who seemed taken aback for a second.
“(I’ve) already started ‘Shrek 5.’ And I’m going to be — I’m Inspector Clouseau in the next ‘Pink Panther,'” Murphy said.
When asked if he’s gonna be French in the movie, the actor cheekily played coy: “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 has been circling the role since around 2023. He will inherit the iconic bumbling detective role from Peter Sellers, who originated it in the 1963 “The Pink Panther” and its eight sequels, and Steve Martin, who played the roles in the 2006 and 2009 versions. There is no set date yet for the new movie. Next in the pipeline for the actor is funk legend George Clinton’s biopic, the aforementioned fifth Shrek movie and reportedly, a Donkey-centric spinoff.