Curse of the Pink Panther
Encyclopedia
Curse of the Pink Panther is a 1983 comedy film, the eighth installment of the The Pink Panther
series of films started by Blake Edwards
in the early 1960s.
The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star, Peter Sellers
. Whereas the previous film, Trail of the Pink Panther
made use of unused footage of Sellers as Inspector Clouseau
, Curse attempted to relaunch the series with a new lead, Ted Wass
, as American detective Clifton Sleigh, an equally incompetent police officer assigned to find the missing Inspector Clouseau. The film contains a cameo by Roger Moore
at the end of the film as Clouseau.
The film was a critical and commercial failure.
), Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau, (Peter Sellers
), hailed as France's greatest detective
, disappeared at sea during a plane crash. His former superior, Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom
), is pressured to oversee Operation Paragon and utilize Interpol
's fictitious Huxley Huxley
600 computer, Aldous to find the world's greatest detective to solve the crime.
What the world at large does not realise is that Clouseau was actually a bungling fool whose cases were solved more through luck that actual detective genius and that his accident-prone incompetence led Dreyfus to a series of nervous breakdowns. Anxious never to see or hear from his nemesis again, Dreyfus sabotages the computer to select the world's worst detective. This turns out to be Sergeant Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass
), an incompetent officer of the NYPD.
Sleigh, who is descended from a long line of cops, sees the case as an opportunity to prove his worth. Dreyfus and his long-suffering assistant Sergeant François Durval (André Maranne
) soon find that the sabotage has worked a bit too well: Sleigh is just as clumsy as Clouseau, tripping and falling, causing havoc and driving Dreyfus crazy. When Sleigh meets Dreyfus for the first time in his office, Sleigh trips over his own feet and knocks Dreyfus into his wheeled office chair which rolls out onto the balcony and sends Dreyfus falling three stories into a pond below, breaking his left leg. Later as Dreyfus goes insane again and attempts to murder Sleigh, he keeps injuring himself, leading to him breaking most of his bones and ending up in a body cast.
As he sets out on the case, Sergeant Sleigh encounters many people who prefer Clouseau dead. These include the inspector's former manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk
) (who attacks Sleigh when he breaks into the Clouseau Museum Cato now operates); Dreyfus, who attempts to kill Sleigh like he tried to kill Clouseau; and Bruno Langlois (Robert Loggia
), the mafia boss from Trail of the Pink Panther. Langlois orders several assassination attempts on Sleigh, but the detective's bumbling nature allows him to survive. Ultimately, Langlois, along with his henchmen (including Mr. Chong from Revenge of the Pink Panther
) have a final showdown with Sleigh in a dark alley. Juleta Shayne, an employee of the enigmatic Countess Chandra comes to Sleigh's rescue and manages to defeat Langlois and his thugs in street combat.
Sleigh also meets Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven
) who is now married to Clouseau's former wife Simone (Capucine
) and accompanied by his nephew George (Robert Wagner
) (all from the very first Pink Panther movie). Sir Charles was the notorious jewel thief known as the Phantom, though only Clouseau was convinced of this. The Phantom would steal items of jewellery and leave behind a monogrammed white glove.
Eventually the trail leads Sleigh to a health spa run by Countess Chandra (Joanna Lumley
). There he meets famous British film star, (Roger Moore
) who speaks with a rather odd French accent and falls about all over the place. Seeing a photograph of the Inspector, Countess Chandra tells Sleigh that Clouseau visited her several months ago, but claimed his name was Gino Rossi (the thief who stole the diamond in the last film and was seen fencing it to Countess Chandra at the start of this film when the real Inspector arrived on the scene). She recalls he was looking for a good plastic surgeon and she recommended one.
Sleigh concludes, wrongly, that Clouseau stole the Pink Panther diamond, underwent plastic surgery, and changed his name to Gino Rossi. The real jewel thief's body was found washed up on shore after he was shot to death. It is believed that Clouseau was killed for the diamond. Anxious to be rid of Sleigh, Dreyfus announces that Sleigh has solved the mystery and officially closes the case, though it is clear that Dreyfus does not believe that this is what happened. In a final irony, as Dreyfus sets fire to Gino Rossi's photograph, happy to be rid of Clouseau once and for all, he accidentally sets fire to his office. Sleigh runs in and attempts to put out the fire with a hose, only to accidentally hit Dreyfus with the water, the force of which pushes him onto his balcony and Dreyfus again falls three stories into the pond below.
Fim star Roger Moore
was in fact Clouseau after very extensive plastic surgery
. Clouseau has become Countess Chandra's lover and partner in crime. When Clouseau and Chandra open her hidden wall safe to admire the Pink Panther, they discover they have been robbed and a white monogrammed glove has been left behind. "Swine Phantom!" mutters Clouseau, knowing only too well who is responsible for the theft.
In the final scene, Sir Charles, Simone, and George are sailing away on board their yacht, along with the Pink Panther jewel
which Simone has stolen.
. Curse of the Pink Panther had been the original working title for what became Revenge of the Pink Panther
, made five years previously.
In Trail of the Pink Panther, Joanna Lumley
had been a TV investigative reporter. Here she is cast as the aristocratic owner of a health spa, Countess Chandra.
Dudley Moore
had been Blake Edwards
' original choice for the role of Det. Clifton Sleigh, but Moore turned it down, not wishing to commit to a series following the success of Arthur. Edwards suggested Rowan Atkinson
for the role, but the studio rejected the choice as he was unknown outside of Britain at the time. John Ritter
was also in discussion for the role before it fell to Ted Wass
.
David Niven, Capucine and Robert Wagner had been the stars of the original Pink Panther
film. This was Niven's final film and, due to his failing health, his voice was dubbed by impressionist
Rich Little
during post-production.
Roger Moore's scenes were shot during a break from shooting Octopussy
. He was credited as "Turk Thrust II", a nod to actor Bryan Forbes
, who was credited as "Turk Thrust" in the 1964 Clouseau film, A Shot in the Dark
.
Clouseau turning to a life of crime was an element borrowed from Peter Sellers
's unfilmed Romance of the Pink Panther script which had, in the second of the script's two drafts, Clouseau leaving the force and joining his new wife, the arch-criminal, The Frog in a life of crime.
A new arrangement for The Pink Panther Theme Tune (similar to the theme from Revenge of the Pink Panther
) with heavy synthesizers is present, to align the theme with '80s music trends.
The original tagline on posters was 'He's been bombed, blasted and plugged in the parachute... Is this any way to welcome the World's Greatest Detective?'.
Critics and fans agree, though, that one positive aspect of the film was Moore's cameo which makes quite a contrast to his usual part of suave and sophisticated hero. Falling about, mincing his words and wearing an ice bucket for most of his scenes, Moore displays a previously unknown talent for physical and verbal comedy.
Wass' option for several sequels was never taken up, although another unsuccessful attempt at reviving the series occurred 10 years later with Son of the Pink Panther
, starring Roberto Benigni
as Clouseau's illegitimate son. A commercially successful revival, The Pink Panther
starring Steve Martin
as Clouseau, was released in 2006, though this film is a reboot
ing of the franchise rather than a continuation or remake. Martin once again played Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2, although this film was not a commercial success.
The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther is a series of comedy films featuring the bungling French police detective Jacques Clouseau that began in 1963 with the release of the film of the same name. The role was originated by, and is most closely associated with, Peter Sellers...
series of films started by Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
in the early 1960s.
The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star, Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
. Whereas the previous film, Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series, and the last in which Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, although Sellers died before production began and the film thus contains no original material...
made use of unused footage of Sellers as Inspector Clouseau
Inspector Clouseau
Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau is a fictional character in Blake Edwards' The Pink Panther series. In most of the films, he was played by Peter Sellers, with one film in which he was played by Alan Arkin and one in which he was played by an uncredited Roger Moore...
, Curse attempted to relaunch the series with a new lead, Ted Wass
Ted Wass (actor)
Ted Wass , is an American actor and director. Goodman School of Drama graduate Wass made his Broadway debut in the 1976 production Grease...
, as American detective Clifton Sleigh, an equally incompetent police officer assigned to find the missing Inspector Clouseau. The film contains a cameo by Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
at the end of the film as Clouseau.
The film was a critical and commercial failure.
Plot
While investigating the theft of the Pink Panther diamond during the previous film (Trail of the Pink PantherTrail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series, and the last in which Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, although Sellers died before production began and the film thus contains no original material...
), Chief Inspector Jacques Clouseau, (Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
), hailed as France's greatest detective
Detective
A detective is an investigator, either a member of a police agency or a private person. The latter may be known as private investigators or "private eyes"...
, disappeared at sea during a plane crash. His former superior, Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus (Herbert Lom
Herbert Lom
Herbert Lom is a Czech film actor, best known for his role as former Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus in the Pink Panther movie series.-Life and career:...
), is pressured to oversee Operation Paragon and utilize Interpol
Interpol
Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...
's fictitious Huxley Huxley
Aldous Huxley
Aldous Leonard Huxley was an English writer and one of the most prominent members of the famous Huxley family. Best known for his novels including Brave New World and a wide-ranging output of essays, Huxley also edited the magazine Oxford Poetry, and published short stories, poetry, travel...
600 computer, Aldous to find the world's greatest detective to solve the crime.
What the world at large does not realise is that Clouseau was actually a bungling fool whose cases were solved more through luck that actual detective genius and that his accident-prone incompetence led Dreyfus to a series of nervous breakdowns. Anxious never to see or hear from his nemesis again, Dreyfus sabotages the computer to select the world's worst detective. This turns out to be Sergeant Clifton Sleigh (Ted Wass
Ted Wass (actor)
Ted Wass , is an American actor and director. Goodman School of Drama graduate Wass made his Broadway debut in the 1976 production Grease...
), an incompetent officer of the NYPD.
Sleigh, who is descended from a long line of cops, sees the case as an opportunity to prove his worth. Dreyfus and his long-suffering assistant Sergeant François Durval (André Maranne
André Maranne
André Maranne is an Anglo-French actor who appeared chiefly in English-language roles from the mid 1950s.-Career:Born in Toulouse, France, Maranne's most prominent recurring role was Sergeant François Chevalier in six of The Pink Panther films, alongside Peter Sellers and Herbert Lom. Before the...
) soon find that the sabotage has worked a bit too well: Sleigh is just as clumsy as Clouseau, tripping and falling, causing havoc and driving Dreyfus crazy. When Sleigh meets Dreyfus for the first time in his office, Sleigh trips over his own feet and knocks Dreyfus into his wheeled office chair which rolls out onto the balcony and sends Dreyfus falling three stories into a pond below, breaking his left leg. Later as Dreyfus goes insane again and attempts to murder Sleigh, he keeps injuring himself, leading to him breaking most of his bones and ending up in a body cast.
As he sets out on the case, Sergeant Sleigh encounters many people who prefer Clouseau dead. These include the inspector's former manservant Cato (Burt Kwouk
Burt Kwouk
Burt Kwouk OBE , born Herbert Kwouk, is an English actor of Chinese descent, known for many television appearances and for his role as Cato in the Pink Panther films.-Career:...
) (who attacks Sleigh when he breaks into the Clouseau Museum Cato now operates); Dreyfus, who attempts to kill Sleigh like he tried to kill Clouseau; and Bruno Langlois (Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
), the mafia boss from Trail of the Pink Panther. Langlois orders several assassination attempts on Sleigh, but the detective's bumbling nature allows him to survive. Ultimately, Langlois, along with his henchmen (including Mr. Chong from Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther is the sixth film in the Pink Panther film series. Released in 1978, Revenge of was the last entry featuring series star Peter Sellers, who died in 1980...
) have a final showdown with Sleigh in a dark alley. Juleta Shayne, an employee of the enigmatic Countess Chandra comes to Sleigh's rescue and manages to defeat Langlois and his thugs in street combat.
Sleigh also meets Sir Charles Lytton (David Niven
David Niven
James David Graham Niven , known as David Niven, was a British actor and novelist, best known for his roles as Phileas Fogg in Around the World in 80 Days and Sir Charles Lytton, a.k.a. "the Phantom", in The Pink Panther...
) who is now married to Clouseau's former wife Simone (Capucine
Capucine
Capucine was a French actress and fashion model best known for her comedic roles in The Pink Panther and What's New Pussycat? . She appeared in 36 films and 17 television productions between 1948 and 1990...
) and accompanied by his nephew George (Robert Wagner
Robert Wagner
Robert John Wagner is an American actor of stage, screen, and television.A veteran of many films in the 1950s and 1960s, Wagner gained prominence in three American television series that spanned three decades: It Takes a Thief , Switch , and Hart to Hart...
) (all from the very first Pink Panther movie). Sir Charles was the notorious jewel thief known as the Phantom, though only Clouseau was convinced of this. The Phantom would steal items of jewellery and leave behind a monogrammed white glove.
Eventually the trail leads Sleigh to a health spa run by Countess Chandra (Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
). There he meets famous British film star, (Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
) who speaks with a rather odd French accent and falls about all over the place. Seeing a photograph of the Inspector, Countess Chandra tells Sleigh that Clouseau visited her several months ago, but claimed his name was Gino Rossi (the thief who stole the diamond in the last film and was seen fencing it to Countess Chandra at the start of this film when the real Inspector arrived on the scene). She recalls he was looking for a good plastic surgeon and she recommended one.
Sleigh concludes, wrongly, that Clouseau stole the Pink Panther diamond, underwent plastic surgery, and changed his name to Gino Rossi. The real jewel thief's body was found washed up on shore after he was shot to death. It is believed that Clouseau was killed for the diamond. Anxious to be rid of Sleigh, Dreyfus announces that Sleigh has solved the mystery and officially closes the case, though it is clear that Dreyfus does not believe that this is what happened. In a final irony, as Dreyfus sets fire to Gino Rossi's photograph, happy to be rid of Clouseau once and for all, he accidentally sets fire to his office. Sleigh runs in and attempts to put out the fire with a hose, only to accidentally hit Dreyfus with the water, the force of which pushes him onto his balcony and Dreyfus again falls three stories into the pond below.
Fim star Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Sir Roger George Moore KBE , is an English actor, perhaps best known for portraying British secret agent James Bond in seven films from 1973 to 1985. He also portrayed Simon Templar in the long-running British television series The Saint.-Early life:Moore was born in Stockwell, London...
was in fact Clouseau after very extensive plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
. Clouseau has become Countess Chandra's lover and partner in crime. When Clouseau and Chandra open her hidden wall safe to admire the Pink Panther, they discover they have been robbed and a white monogrammed glove has been left behind. "Swine Phantom!" mutters Clouseau, knowing only too well who is responsible for the theft.
In the final scene, Sir Charles, Simone, and George are sailing away on board their yacht, along with the Pink Panther jewel
Pink Panther jewel
The Pink Panther is a fictional diamond with a distinctive flaw which resembles a leaping panther. The diamond was a major plot device in a series of films which are collectively known as the Pink Panther movies...
which Simone has stolen.
Production
The film was shot at the same time as linking footage for Trail of the Pink PantherTrail of the Pink Panther
Trail of the Pink Panther is a 1982 comedy film starring Peter Sellers. It was the seventh film in the Pink Panther series, and the last in which Peter Sellers starred as Inspector Jacques Clouseau, although Sellers died before production began and the film thus contains no original material...
. Curse of the Pink Panther had been the original working title for what became Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther is the sixth film in the Pink Panther film series. Released in 1978, Revenge of was the last entry featuring series star Peter Sellers, who died in 1980...
, made five years previously.
In Trail of the Pink Panther, Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lumley
Joanna Lamond Lumley, OBE, FRGS is a British actress, voice-over artist, former-model and author, best known for her roles in British television series Absolutely Fabulous portraying Edina Monsoon's best friend, Patsy Stone, as well as parts in The New Avengers, Sapphire & Steel, and Sensitive...
had been a TV investigative reporter. Here she is cast as the aristocratic owner of a health spa, Countess Chandra.
Dudley Moore
Dudley Moore
Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE was an English actor, comedian, composer and musician.Moore first came to prominence as one of the four writer-performers in the ground-breaking comedy revue Beyond the Fringe in the early 1960s, and then became famous as half of the highly popular television...
had been Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
' original choice for the role of Det. Clifton Sleigh, but Moore turned it down, not wishing to commit to a series following the success of Arthur. Edwards suggested Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Atkinson
Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
for the role, but the studio rejected the choice as he was unknown outside of Britain at the time. John Ritter
John Ritter
Jonathan Southworth "John" Ritter was an American actor, voice over artist and comedian perhaps best known for having played Jack Tripper and Paul Hennessy in the ABC sitcoms Three's Company and 8 Simple Rules, respectively...
was also in discussion for the role before it fell to Ted Wass
Ted Wass (actor)
Ted Wass , is an American actor and director. Goodman School of Drama graduate Wass made his Broadway debut in the 1976 production Grease...
.
David Niven, Capucine and Robert Wagner had been the stars of the original Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (1963 film)
The Pink Panther is a 1963 American comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and co-written by Edwards and Maurice Richlin, starring David Niven, Peter Sellers, Robert Wagner, Capucine, and Claudia Cardinale...
film. This was Niven's final film and, due to his failing health, his voice was dubbed by impressionist
Impressionist (entertainment)
An impressionist or a mimic is a performer whose act consists of imitating the voice and mannerisms of others. The word usually refers to a professional comedian/entertainer who specializes in such performances and has developed a wide repertoire of impressions, including adding to them, often to...
Rich Little
Rich Little
Richard Caruthers "Rich" Little is a Canadian-American impressionist and voice actor. He has long been known throughout the world as a top impersonator of famous people, resulting in his nickname, "The Man of a Thousand Voices"....
during post-production.
Octopussy
Octopussy is the thirteenth entry in the James Bond series, and the sixth to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights...
. He was credited as "Turk Thrust II", a nod to actor Bryan Forbes
Bryan Forbes
Bryan Forbes, CBE is an English film director, actor and writer.-Career:Bryan Forbes was born John Theobald Clarke on 22 July 1926 in Queen Mary's Hospital, Stratford, West Ham, Essex , and grew up at 43 Cranmer Road, Forest Gate, West Ham, Essex .Forbes trained as an actor at the Royal Academy of...
, who was credited as "Turk Thrust" in the 1964 Clouseau film, A Shot in the Dark
A Shot in the Dark (1964 film)
A Shot in the Dark is a 1964 comedy film directed by Blake Edwards and is the second installment in the Pink Panther series. Peter Sellers is featured again as Inspector Jacques Clouseau of the French Sûreté...
.
Clouseau turning to a life of crime was an element borrowed from Peter Sellers
Peter Sellers
Richard Henry Sellers, CBE , known as Peter Sellers, was a British comedian and actor. Perhaps best known as Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther film series, he is also notable for playing three different characters in Dr...
's unfilmed Romance of the Pink Panther script which had, in the second of the script's two drafts, Clouseau leaving the force and joining his new wife, the arch-criminal, The Frog in a life of crime.
A new arrangement for The Pink Panther Theme Tune (similar to the theme from Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Revenge of the Pink Panther is the sixth film in the Pink Panther film series. Released in 1978, Revenge of was the last entry featuring series star Peter Sellers, who died in 1980...
) with heavy synthesizers is present, to align the theme with '80s music trends.
The original tagline on posters was 'He's been bombed, blasted and plugged in the parachute... Is this any way to welcome the World's Greatest Detective?'.
Impact
Curse of the Pink Panther was a critical and box office failure, with the general consensus that attempting to continue the Pink Panther series without Sellers was foolhardy.Critics and fans agree, though, that one positive aspect of the film was Moore's cameo which makes quite a contrast to his usual part of suave and sophisticated hero. Falling about, mincing his words and wearing an ice bucket for most of his scenes, Moore displays a previously unknown talent for physical and verbal comedy.
Wass' option for several sequels was never taken up, although another unsuccessful attempt at reviving the series occurred 10 years later with Son of the Pink Panther
Son of the Pink Panther
Son of the Pink Panther is the ninth entry in the 30-year-old The Pink Panther film series. Directed by Blake Edwards, it stars Roberto Benigni as Inspector Clouseau's illegitimate son. Also in this film are Panther regulars Herbert Lom, Burt Kwouk and Graham Stark and a star of the original 1963...
, starring Roberto Benigni
Roberto Benigni
Roberto Remigio Benigni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian actor, comedian, screenwriter and director of film, theatre and television.- Early years :...
as Clouseau's illegitimate son. A commercially successful revival, The Pink Panther
The Pink Panther (2006 film)
The Pink Panther is a 2006 American comedy film and a reboot of The Pink Panther film series. In this film, Inspector Jacques Clouseau is assigned to solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and the theft of the famous Pink Panther diamond. The film also stars Kevin Kline, Jean Reno, Emily...
starring Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
as Clouseau, was released in 2006, though this film is a reboot
Reboot (continuity)
The verb reboot, in media dealing with serial fiction, means to discard much or even all previous continuity in the series and start anew with fresh ideas...
ing of the franchise rather than a continuation or remake. Martin once again played Clouseau in The Pink Panther 2, although this film was not a commercial success.