When The Pink Panther first hit the big screen in 1963, the cartoon character was created as an embellishment to go with the opening credit sequence (remember those?) before Peter Sellers’ Inspector Clouseau hilariously bumbled through a case concerning the “Pink Panther” diamond. Almost 60 year later, and for the first time, the iconic panther cartoon character will enter the story of a major Pink Panther movie, which is now in the works from the talent behind some of this year’s biggest hits, Sonic the Hedgehog and Bad Boys For Life.
Jeff Fowler, the director behind the record breaking live-action/CGI hybrid Sonic the Hedgehog, is partnering up with Bad Boys For Life co-writer Chris Bremner for an in-the-works Pink Panther reboot for MGM. In a twist for the franchise, the Pink Panther will be integral to the movie’s storyline as the imaginary friend to a “smooth operating” inspector who appears and helps him crack an undisclosed case after a traumatic event, per THR.
Pink Panther will reportedly still remain a silent character, but it's not yet clear whether Inspector Clouseau will be the main character or someone brand new. Considering the Sonic the Hedgehog filmmaker is behind the project, and Tom & Jerry will soon get this treatment, it's a good bet that will be a live-action/CGI hybrid movie. But the new Pink Panther is in early development, so it's possible the premise could be altered at a later date. Fowler did take to Twitter to say this about his Pink Panther:
As a kid, I LOVED the world of the #PinkPanther movies and could not be more thrilled to re-introduce this ICONIC animated character to audiences... we have great plans!!
Chris Bremner is a 2020 breakout writer, with Bad Boys For Life marking his first major screenplay, and that went on to become the highest-grossing Hollywood movie of 2020 right now. Bremner is also writing National Treasure 3, a Kevin Hart-Woody Harrelson comedy called The Man From Toronto and the announced Bad Boys 4. Jeff Fowler is additionally set to direct a sequel for Sonic the Hedgehog after its huge success early this year.
The last time we saw a Pink Panther movie was in 2009 via the Steve Martin franchise that lasted two movies. Pink Panther 2 was a commercial disappointment for MGM, grossing just $76 million worldwide on a reported $70 million production budget. Its earnings were split more than half from 2006’s Pink Panther, also starring Jean Reno, Beyoncé and Kevin Kline. It comparatively made $164 million.
On a first impression for the new Pink Panther details, it sounds reminiscent of Detective Pikachu. Adding in the cartoon character, which has since had spinoff solo outings on television, could be the best angle to revitalize the franchise. The success of a new Pink Panther will have a lot to do with the talent they choose for this mysterious inspector and how exciting the case itself is. What do you think about the Pink Panther reboot plans? Vote in our poll below!
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