Columbia Pictures has tapped veteran comedy screenwriters Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel to rewrite the next installment in the “Pink Panther” franchise, says The Hollywood Reporter.
Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber penned an earlier draft of The Pink Panther 2, which will see Steve Martin return as the bumbling Inspector Clouseau.
The trade says that Ganz and Mandel are known as the go-to rewrite duo for studio fare, having polished such films as Hitch, 50 First Dates, Fat Albert, National Treasure, Kangaroo Jack, The Notebook and Stuart Little 2.
MGM co-produced the most recent “Pink Panther” film, which last year earned $158.7 million worldwide. The revamped studio is expected to team again with Sony to co-produce “Pink Panther 2.”
Sony is negotiating with Shawn Levy, who helmed “Pink Panther,” to executive produce the sequel. There is no director attached yet.
