[4]: 13 Princess Yasmin of Lugash is abducted in French territorial waters off the coast of Nice by terrorists led by mercenary Hans in order to force her father to abdicate and allow her disgraced stepmother's lover, a military general with terrorist ties to a neighboring kingdom, to claim the throne.

Jacques opens the doors of the kidnapper's van and unknowingly spots the Princess who he believes is the driver's sister en route to the hospital.

Hans decides to move his safe house to Lugash and sends his men to kill Jacques by placing him in a van and rolling it down a steep road off a cliff.

Aided by the Lugash Army and Cato, Jacques enters the castle, defeats the terrorists and rescues Princess Yasmin.

At a ceremony in Lugash, King Haroak and Princess Yasmin award Inspector Clouseau Jr. with a special medal for his heroic rescue.

Kline was a fan of the series and loved Edwards' previous films, but decided after reading the script that the project just wouldn't work.

According to producer Tony Adams, Depardieu was "very interested" in the role when first approached in 1989, but he was no longer available by the time production was ready to begin.

[5] When Giancarlo Parretti took control of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM-Pathé Communications withdrew financing from the project and Edwards sued the studio in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Edwards then wanted Roberto Benigni — a popular Italian comedian who had yet to be discovered in America — after viewing Down by Law and Johnny Stecchino.

Filming started 8 June 1992 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence and production finished 4 months later, taking place in Pinewood Studios and the country of Jordan.

Edwards replied while laughing, "I think it's principally greed, and some small percentage that I hate to see something that has kind of become an institution languish and die.

The website's consensus reads, "Roberto Benigni is an undeniably gifted physical comic, but the misguided Son of [the] Pink Panther betrays his energetic efforts with a painfully unfunny script".

[15] However, the film was a top hit in Italy with a gross of $18 million and became the highest-grossing Italian blockbuster ever, despite being considered a box-office bomb everywhere else.