Universal will release “Ted 2,” the sequel to Seth MacFarlane‘s hit movie, on June 26, 2015, the studio announced on Wednesday.
It has been a foregone conclusion that MacFarlane would make another “Ted” as that film, MacFarlane’s first, grossed $54 million in its opening weekend en route to almost $550 million worldwide. The R-rated comedy was Universal’s biggest hit of 2012.
Yet the studio has been cagey about when the movie would come, and whether it would be involved. The project resides with Media Rights Capital, the studio behind “House of Cards” that has a deal with Universal on the film side.
Before shooting “Ted 2,” MacFarlane is making “A Million Ways to Die in the West.” That comedy western, which Universal will also release, stars MacFarlane, Charlize Theron and Amanda Seyfried. It will hit theaters next May.
Also read: Seth MacFarlane’s ‘Dads’: Behind-the-Scenes of Fox’s Edgy Sitcom (Exclusive Video)
As for “Ted,” MacFarlane previously tweeted that they were aiming for a Passover release date, which though clearly a joke, is just a couple months before the official release date for “Ted 2.”
The “Family Guy” creator will write, direct and star in “Ted 2,” voicing the titular loudmouth teddy bear. Mark Wahlberg will return to star in the movie, which MacFarlane, Scott Stuber, John Jacobs an Jason Clark will produce.
It will open in what is already a cluttered and messy summer of 2015. Universal scheduled the movie two weeks after its own “Jurassic World” and one week after Pixar’s “Inside Out” and the film adaptation of the “Assassin’s Creed” video games. It opens one weekend before both a reboot of “The Terminator” and a sequel to “Independence Day” and two weeks before Universal’s “Despicable Me” spin-off “Minions.”