Actor Mark Wahlberg is primarily known as an action star and is known for his roles in films such as Transformers: Age of Extinction and Pain and Gain. However, he also has a comedic side that has been explored in films like The Other Guys, Daddy’s Home, and 2 Guns. However, one of his most known comedies is the Ted franchise with Seth MacFarlane.
After two films in the franchise, MacFarlane announced a TV show that would act as a prequel to the films and would follow Wahlberg’s character as a teen, played by Max Burkholder. Though there were speculations that a Ted 3 was in the making before the show, MacFarlane revealed his plans for the franchise, which might not make fans happy.
What Is Mark Wahlberg’s Ted About?
Though Mark Wahlberg had his debut in the dark comedy Boogie Nights, he slowly pivoted to an action-hero persona with films like The Perfect Storm, Planet of the Apes, and The Italian Job. The actor also ventured into dramatic territory with films like The Departed and The Fighter. He then began the 2010s with the buddy cop comedy The Other Guys.
Wahlberg then immediately signed on to star in Seth MacFarlane’s directorial debut Ted. The film follows the story of a lonely child, John Bennett who wishes his beloved teddy bear named Ted would come alive so he could have a friend, which comes true. The story then moves on to an adult Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg, who wishes to move away from Ted’s hedonistic lifestyle and embrace adulthood.
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MacFarlane reportedly wanted to make Ted into an animated show much like his previous shows Family Guy and American Dad. However, he then decided to turn it into a live-action film, his first, and co-wrote it with his Family Guy colleagues Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. The film was produced by Universal Studios and also starred Mila Kunis and Joel McHale.
Ted was a massive commercial success upon release, earning over $549 million worldwide against a $60 million budget. It included MacFarlane’s trademark brand of comedy that bordered on the offensive and was irreverent with healthy doses of dark humor. The success of Ted prompted a sequel, Ted 2, which was also successful, though not as much as Ted.
Is Ted 3 Still Happening?
Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane returned in their respective roles in Ted 2, which was a moderate success at the box office. However, it was enough for the studio to consider a sequel for the franchise. Seth MacFarlane mentioned in 2015 that there were no immediate plans for Ted 3 and that there was a possibility.
However, the next installment in the franchise turned out to be a prequel series for Peacock titled Ted, which focused on Mark Wahlberg’s character’s teenage. Max Burkholder, who played a role in MacFarlane’s The Orville, starred as Bennett in the show, with MacFarlane returning to voice the role of the titular teddy bear.
When asked if the intended sequel Ted 3 was revamped into a series, MacFarlane said that the threequel would have been different but that Universal Studios approached him with the concept of a prequel. He told The Hollywood Reporter that he was unsure of how to take the story forward,
“[Ted 3] was just different. Ted 2, I think, did very well. The story that had been told in the first one had such a clear beginning, middle, and end that it felt like we are happily ever after from there, and so where do you really go?”
The production of Ted 3 was also delayed by legal issues that the studio and Seth MacFarlane had to deal with as a production company had tried to sue the makers for stealing their idea of a beer-drinking teddy bear. The lawsuit reportedly took years to sort out. Hence, Ted (the TV show) might give the franchise a well-needed pivot.
