Tickled Pink

18-03-2006 15:49

by Simon Thompson

Taking on the legacy of a well loved and well established character or franchise is a frightening prospect for any actor. That becomes even harder when the main characters of franchise have developed iconic status.

Questions race through your head: 'What if the fans of the original don't like it? What if it's no good? What if you kill the whole institution off stone dead?'. Daunting doesn't even begin to describe it.

The latest in a long line of franchises to be revamped for the increasingly demanding 21st Century audience is The Pink Panther.

The idea behind the 2006 version, which was perceived as a prequel to the 1964 original, is simple. Inspector Jacques Clouseau, played by comic genius Steve Martin, must solve the murder of a famous soccer coach and find out who stole the infamous Pink Panther diamond.

This time round the role of Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus is filled by Oscar winning actor Kevin Kline. Joining them is soulful sex symbol and former member of Destiny's Child, Beyonce - as a pop star called Xania.

The story is simple. A world-famous soccer coach has been murdered and his priceless, legendary ring has been stolen - a ring set with the stunning diamond known as the 'Pink Panther'. The French government needs a master detective to solve the crime and recover the gem. but he's not available, so they recruit none other than Inspector Jacques Clouseau. All Clouseau and his partner, Ponton, have to do is unmask the murderer and keep their boss, Dreyfus, from taking credit for the victory.

Beyonce says the cast bring something fresh to the table.

She revealed: "I know that a lot of my generation haven't seen the original 'Pink Panther' movies - I've never seen them. There is something so legendary about that song and about the image of the Pink Panther and we don't know where it came from.

"For me to be the person that represents that in 2006 is amazing." And filming on location wasn't exactly tough.

She confessed: "I did two weeks in New York and one week in Paris. I had a great time. "It didn't feel like work at all. I laughed the whole time on the set and I'm happy that I'm in it."

More about Tickled Pink on page 2