Eddie Murphy Teases His Inspector Clouseau Transformation for New 'Pink Panther' Movie
Eddie Murphy confirmed during an interview on the Today show that he will star in a reboot of The Pink Panther franchise as Inspector Jacques Clouseau
Steve Martin most recently portrayed the iconic detective in 2006's The Pink Panther and a 2009 sequel, and Peter Sellers originated the part in several comedies made in the 1960s, '70s and '80s
"Well, he has to be French, but he could also be Haitian," Murphy said, when asked if his Clouseau will be FrenchEddie Murphy has a new franchise on his hands.
The actor, 64, revealed during an interview with the Today show that aired Monday, July 28, that he will star in a new The Pink Panther movie while promoting his new action-comedy The Pickup.
'I'm getting ready to do a George Clinton, Parliament-Funkadelic. I'm getting ready to do George Clinton," Murphy said. '[I've] already started Shrek 5. And I'm going to be— I'm Inspector Clouseau in the next Pink Panther."
'Yeah, I'm the new Clouseau,' he added, after Today co-host Al Roker expressed surprise at Murphy's announcement.
When Roker asked Murphy whether he will play Clouseau — the detective popularized by Peter Sellers in the franchise's original movies in the 1960s and '70s — as French, Murphy laughed and said, "Maybe." He added, "Well, he has to be French, but he could also be Haitian. I will tell you, he's Black. He's Black, for sure.'
The Pink Panther movies started with the 1963 comedy, which starred Sellers as Inspector Clouseau, who is tasked with catching a jewel thief who intends to steal a diamond known as "the pink panther."
Sellers, who died in 1980 at age 54, reprised his role in a number of films in the franchise in the '60s, '70s and '80s. Steve Martin also starred as the character in a 2006 reboot and a 2009 sequel. The franchise is known for its iconic theme song and animated opening sequences, which feature an anthropomorphic pink panther.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Multiple outlets reported that Murphy was in talks to star in a new Pink Panther movie back in May 2023. As Murphy told the Today show, he is also working on a biopic that would see him portray funk music legend George Clinton, 84, which Variety first reported back in November 2024.
Outside of the upcoming fifth Shrek movie, Murphy also recently told Screen Rant that he will voice his iconic character Donkey in a standalone film that starts production in September.
'Usually I'm the young maverick guy. And now I'm the old voice of reason,' Murphy told the Today show of choosing roles at this point in his life. 'When you get our age, you have to pay. If you whip somebody's ass when you're our age, you kind of whip your own ass too.'
Murphy most recently appeared in the 2023 holiday movie Candy Cane Lane and 2024's Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F. After The Pickup begins streaming on Prime Video Aug. 6, Murphy will next appear on the big screen when Shrek 5 hits theaters on Dec. 23, 2026.
Read the original article on People
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
'The Hunting Wives' pushes envelope for Netflix with Malin Akerman as steamy seductress
Malin Akerman's latest role in "The Hunting Wives" was a dramatic turn from roles the actress typically takes on. The Netflix series follows housewives in East Texas who welcome in a newcomer from Boston. The show is full of deception, raunchy scenes, secrets and murder. Akerman stars as Margo Banks and is married to oil tycoon-turned-politician hopeful Jed Banks (Dermot Mulroney). The star-studded cast also includes Brittany Snow, Chrissy Metz, Jaime Ray Newman and Katie Lowes. Prior to "The Hunting Wives," Akerman was best known for her role as the wife of a hedge fund manager in "Billions." The seven-season series centered around "power politics in the world of New York high finance," per IMDb. She was also typically cast in rom-com movies, such as "27 Dresses," "Couples Retreat," and "The Proposal." Taking on the role of Margo, a seductive housewife that's full of secrets, was easy for Akerman. She told People that she "fell in love" with the character immediately and read all eight episodes right when she was sent the script. "I got to see her whole arc and see where she begins and where she came from and where she ends up, and it's just such a meaty role. "She's a master manipulator, she's vibrant, she's all these things that are fun to play. There was just so much to work with there. There was no way I could say no to it," Akerman told the outlet. "She's a master manipulator, she's vibrant, she's all these things that are fun to play. There was just so much to work with there. There was no way I could say no to it." Akerman also discussed her on-screen husband, Jed Banks. "I love Dermot so much. He's one of the loveliest humans. I mean, it's one of those things you go into it, and it's Dermot Mulroney, the heartthrob from 'My Best Friend's Wedding.' He is just an incredible human being," she told People. Throughout the seasons, viewers learn that Jed and Margo have an interesting marriage. Both parties are allowed to sleep with other women, but Margo is not allowed to sleep with other men. "Margo and Jed are really interesting because at first you just think she's this trophy wife, and she's living the life. But then, there are some scenes that get pretty complex where we see who is boss. "She needs to make sure that she doesn't step on his toes because if she's out, then she's got nothing. It's life or death for her, this relationship with Jed," Akerman said. Akerman's character Margo also changed after Jed announced his plans to run for governor of Texas. "You see her kind of shift and go, 'All right, I've overstepped my boundaries.' So, she does have boundaries, which is interesting. As long as she's playful and sexy, though, she can stay. So, she's become a master manipulator, and that was really fun to play with Dermot. He's just such a great acting partner. We had a really good time," Akerman said. She also mentioned her relationship with Sophie (Brittany Snow), the new girl from Boston. Their friendship sees them drinking and hunting, but it also turns romantic in the series. "We ended up just loving each other so much. I was so thankful to have her as my partner in crime. We just felt really comfortable with each other," Akerman said. Even during their intimate scenes, Snow and Akerman were able to keep their friendship lighthearted. "They'd call cut, and we'd giggle and we'd be silly together after because you're just like, 'Oh my God, this is crazy.' It was just two girlfriends just doing the craziest things and having a blast together," she told People. Akerman discussed her role with Elle and explained that although Margo is calculating and manipulative, she's hard to not watch. "Whether it's controlling, hypocritical or whatever, there's a freedom to her that I loved. I'm such a people pleaser, and sometimes I just want to go, 'F--- it, stop. Just be free. Be wild.' Margo's on another level. That really stuck with me," she told the outlet. Akerman is optimistic that Netflix will renew the series for a second season, especially with the show's shocking finale that "got everyone gasping," according to the star. "She's just too fun," she said of Margo. "It's just fun to be taken on a ride—and that's what this show is for."
Chicago Tribune
an hour ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: Kokandy Productions resurrects the dreamy 'Amélie the Musical'
What was ground zero for the manic pixie dream girl movie trope? Zooey Deschanel in '(500) Days of Summer?' Kirsten Dunst in 'Elizabethtown?' Winona Ryder in 'Autumn in New York?' It depends on the nature of your preferred definition and some go back as far as Katharine Hepburn. But a case surely could be made for the pointy-haired French star Audrey Tautou in 'Amélie,' the whimsical 2001 French fable from Jean-Pierre Jeunet about a melancholy but lovable Montmartre waitress who decides that the best cure for her own feelings of loneliness is throwing herself into improving the lives of the clutch of Parisian eccentrics who surround her. 'Amélie' was one of the most internationally successful French movies ever made, and those of us who fell under its witty, sweet, intermittently acerbic spell at the time surely recall it with great fondness. Ah, when quirkiness and whimsy still felt fresh and new. Until, that is, some of us walked into Broadway's Walter Kerr Theater in 2017 for the disastrous musical version. Not many folk had that dubious pleasure, given that 'Amélie,' which has a book by Craig Lucas and music by Daniel Messé, lasted only 57 regular performances. I hadn't seen it since before this weekend and was not sure I ever would before Kokandy Productions, the indisputable current leader in edgy, off-Loop musicals, announced its summer project. 'Amélie,' the musical yin to 'Lupin's' Netflix yang. Interesting, I thought. Everything gets licensed. I should first note why I think 'Amélie' had such a rough go of it on Broadway in 2017. Many reasons: The source movie was so organically and distinctly beautiful as to resist brand extension. A chilly vibe couldn't compete with the warmth and vulnerability of Tautou's film performance. The show struggled to translate so fundamental a cinematic narrative into the language of a Broadway musical. And, frankly, time had just . Daring originality had become a familiar trope. Kokandy's hugely inventive production, which is a must-see for anyone interested in the long Chicago tradition of fresh and intimate takes on failed Broadway musicals, goes a long way toward giving Amélie back her crucial sense of self and worth. You might say it de-tropifies her. Most specifically, that is achieved by the delightful Aurora Penepacker, who plays the central character here and makes Amélie entirely her own, even though she comes with a Tautou-like Parisian bob and a day-glo vivacity that put me most in mind of Jasmine Amy Rogers in 'Boop! The Musical.' The gifted director and choregrapher Derek Van Barham, who has been doing for musicals these last few summers what David Cromer once did for straight plays in the basement of the Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park, has created an eye-poppingly immersive production that draws on the cabaret-style implications of the material (Amélie is, after all, a waitress in a Parisian cafe) and features a cast that switches, 'Once'-style, back and forth between playing instruments (playing them well, too) and performing the show's wacky lost urban souls. The tone of the production is admirable diverse: Mizha Lee Overn, for example, brings warmth to her little clutch of characters while Quinn Rigg, between stints playing the violin, adds a delicious soupçon of cynicism to his denizens. I did think Joe Giovannetti, who plays Amélie's love interest, Nino, could warm up some more toward the end, but then the production's problems mostly are in the second act. Act 1 is pretty knockout but post-intermission (an intermission that did not exist on Broadway) the show gets less specific and it just pops off the boil a tad. Penepacker's vocals are simply fabulous all the way through to her big Act 2 number, 'Sister's Pickle' (I know; what a title for an 11 o'clock number) and then she suddenly seems less tonally assured. I suspect that the show ran out of rehearsal time, which is not uncommon. I also think the problems within the material finally start to overwhelm the plethora of creative staging ideas here, all shrewdly designed and lit by G. 'Max' Maxin IV. Caper-driven films invariably have too much plot for Act 2 and that's surely the case here, when all the audience really wants is to spend more time inside the head of the heroine. So I can't report that Kokandy solves about 'Amélie.' But the score is worth hearing, when this well sung. Indeed, I'll wager you won't regret going for a second, not with this much passion and creativity and sheer talent running around what long has been the most artistically satisfying basement in the city. Review: 'Amélie' (3.5 stars) When: Through Sept. 28 Where: Chopin Theatre, 1543 W. Division St. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes Tickets: $45-55 at
Chicago Tribune
2 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Review: City Lit offers a challenging and poignant production of ‘Jesus Hopped the ‘A' Train'
Early on in 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train,' a sadistic corrections officer in Rikers Island prison compares himself to a cowboy in charge of cattle earmarked for the slaughterhouse. His grim comment sums up the central metaphor of this 2000 drama by Pulitzer Prize winner Stephen Adly Guirgis, which examines the dehumanization inherent in our criminal justice system, particularly for Latino and Black men. As directed by Esteban Andres Cruz at City Lit Theater, the play's livestock imagery runs deep, from the piteous to the disgusting to the macabre. But there are more layers to Guirgis' play than this effective, if sometimes on-the-nose, symbolism. The script also probes the meaning of justice, the limits of the law in morally gray situations and the role of religious faith in an institution not conducive to redemption. With City Lit's production drawing clear parallels to today's headlines, especially through projections designed by Andres Fiz, this 25-year-old play feels disturbingly relevant. Recent University of Michigan graduate and Chicago native Lenin Izquierdo stars as Angel Cruz, a 30-year-old Puerto Rican man charged with the murder of Reverend Kim, the wealthy leader of a cult-like religious movement who claims to be the son of God. Desperate after his unsuccessful attempts to extricate his best friend from the church's influence, Angel resorts to shooting Kim in what he claims was intended as a non-lethal attack. When Kim later dies in a follow-up surgery, Angel's charges are escalated, and he faces a potential life sentence. Mary Jane Hanrahan (Maria Stephens), a plucky Irish Italian New Yorker, is Angel's public defender, motivated by a genuine belief in her client's cause and a competitive drive to win a difficult case. In a role reminiscent of Alfieri, the lawyer in Arthur Miller's 'A View from the Bridge,' Mary Jane narrates most of the play's legal procedures, as well as several traumatic events that occur during Angel's incarceration. Filtering key offstage developments through a secondhand narrator has mixed results; this dramatic choice adds some distance between audience and protagonist, but it also avoids the pitfalls of staging overt violence and keeps Angel's scenes focused on a more internal character arc. When Angel isn't consulting with Mary Jane, he spends his daily hour-long breaks from solitary confinement in conversation with Lucius Jenkins (Bradford Stevens), a Black man on death row for murdering eight people. Under the menacing surveillance of Officer Valdez (Manny Tamayo), the upbeat and chatty Lucius, who has converted to Christianity in prison, tries to comfort the shattered younger man and persistently proselytizes about his faith. In their interactions, the show really hits its stride in terms of dialogue and pacing, with sharp banter punctuating serious discussions of existential questions. Without attempting to exonerate Lucius, who shares some gruesome details about his crimes, the play encourages audience members to look beyond the orange jumpsuit and consider the complicated man and the circumstances that led to his horrific actions. This nuanced perspective is amplified by two scenes featuring another corrections officer, Charlie D'Amico (Michael Dailey), who grows close to Lucius during their time together in Rikers. The proverbial good cop to Valdez's bad cop, D'Amico narrates one of Lucius' most significant offstage moments, similarly to Mary Jane's monologues about Angel. In both cases, we hear about the pain of men of color through the voices of their white allies, a structural decision perhaps intended to protect actors and audience members from unnecessary trauma. Regardless of how the script reaches their characters' respective crises, Izquierdo and Stevens both give moving performances as Angel and Lucius try to connect over the physical bonds and the spiritual differences that separate them. Angel's tenderness and vulnerability also come through in his conversations with Mary Jane, especially when he tells the childhood story that inspires the play's name, and in his solitary moments, when he stumbles through fragments of the Lord's Prayer and the Hail Mary. 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train' occasionally loses steam in its extensive ethical debates, but when the play focuses on the humanity of its characters, City Lit's production is both challenging and poignant. Despite the distraction of a noisy fog machine, the livestock motif comes full circle in the end, when Tianxuan Chen's seemingly simple set, draped in a piecemeal collection of off-white canvases, gives way to a powerful final 'Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train' (3 stars) When: Through Sept. 7 Where: City Lit Theater, 1020 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes Tickets: $15-$38 at 773-293-3682 and
