The actor is in negotiations to star in Pink Panther, the MGM comedy based on the classic property. He would star as Inspector Clouseau.

Sonic the Hedgehog filmmaker Jeff Fowler is directing from a script by Chris Bremner, with Rideback’s Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich (Aladdin) producing via their Rideback banner. Larry Mirisch and Julie Andrews are also producing.

The Pink Panther films told the adventures of bumbling Inspector Clouseau (Peter Sellers), with the first film involving a jewel called the Pink Panther. A cartoon panther appeared in the opening credits, and became popular in his own right, starring in cartoons over the decades.

According to sources, the new feature project would be a live-action/CG hybrid and would combine both traditions. The premise takes a buddy cop movie tone to the proceedings with the Inspector and Panther teaming up for the first time ever on the big-screen. Insiders also classified the project as still in the deep development stages.

Rideback’s Ryan Halprin is executive producing.

Murphy rose to become one of the top comedy stars in the world with hits like Beverly Hills Cop and Coming to America in the 1980s, The Nutty Professor and Doctor Dolittle films in the 1990s and the Shrek films in the 2000s. He most recently starred in Netflix’s You People and Amazon’s Coming 2 America.

Murphy is repped by WME and Ziffren Brittenham.