Post by Taxigirl on Nov 19, 2003 10:42:12 GMT
[glow=red,2,300]I CAN HARDLY CONTAIN MY EXCITMENT[/glow]
Comedian Steve Martin is to take over Peter Sellers' role as Inspector Clouseau in a new Pink Panther movie, studio MGM has confirmed.
Martin, known for hit films like Bringing Down the House and LA Story, will play the clumsy detective in a prequel, The Birth of the Pink Panther.
It will be set before 1964, when the first of eight Panther films came out.
The most recent Clouseau remake was Son of the Pink Panther in 1993, starring Italian Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni.
The role of Clouseau has previously been played by Alan Arkin in 1968's Inspector Clouseau and Sir Roger Moore in the 1983 film Curse of the Pink Panther.
Other big-name Hollywood actors linked with the role in a new film have included Kevin Spacey and Mike Myers.
But director Shawn Levy said: "Steve is an inspired comedian and a great actor - he's a perfect choice to play Inspector Clouseau."
Film studio MGM said: "The Pink Panther series is one of MGM's most successful and enduring franchises, and we're pleased to have assembled such a stellar creative team to take the new film in a fresh and exciting direction."
Sellers played Clouseau in six films from 1964, ending with The Trail of the Pink Panther, which was released in 1982, two years after his death.