THE PINK PANTHER - PINK PANTHER TAMED FOR BIG SCREEN

Sony Pictures studio executives slashed scenes from THE PINK PANTHER remake and spent $5 million (GBP2.8 million) on reshoots to make sure the film was suitable for family audiences.

The $80 million (GBP44.4 million) film was already finished when Sony acquired the distribution rights and executives decided the movie had a fatal flaw - STEVE MARTIN's portrayal of bumbling French detective INSPECTOR CLOUSSEAU made him look like a dirty old man.

Sony movie chief AMY PASCAL said, "I saw a great family movie in the movie, but not everything was appropriate for a family audience."

The studio delayed the release of the film by seven months and toned down racy scenes to obtain a PG rating - to attract a wider family audience.

Capitalising on Martin's popularity among kids from his CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN films, the studio marketed the movie as a family-friendly event.

The film's director SHAWN LEVY says, "We tried to render innuendos fleeting and vague enough that we as parents get one joke while our kids get another."