Will There Be A Ted 3?

Seth MacFarlane first gained notoriety in the comedy world for his animated sitcom "Family Guy," a series that has become one of the most popular animated shows in the history of television (via RadioTimes). The series first debuted in 1999 and has aired more than 380 episodes. Additionally, Fox and MacFarlane have also worked together on "American Dad!" and "The Cleveland Show," the latter a spin-off of "Family Guy."

MacFarlane eventually took the plunge into the world of live-action feature films when he directed Universal Pictures' "Ted." The comedy focuses on a man named John Bennet (Mark Wahlberg), whose childhood wish to bring his teddy bear, Ted (MacFarlane), to life later wreaks havoc on his adult life. Despite MacFarlane voicing concerns about his directorial debut, the film was a commercial success for Universal, and it went on to gross over $549 million at the worldwide box office (via Box Office Mojo). Critical reception was mostly positive with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 69%. 

Following the success of the first film, a sequel was commissioned fairly quickly (via Anderson Live). However, unlike its predecessor, "Ted 2" wasn't nearly as commercially successful, grossing just a little over $215 million throughout its theatrical run (via Box Office Mojo). Despite "Ted 2" not living up to the expectations of the first film, audiences have been wondering if MacFarlane and Wahlberg will ever team up again.

Although the franchise has been largely dormant since 2015, a recent announcement from Peacock makes it look like fans could have something to look forward to soon.

After "Ted 2" was released to mostly negative reception — it has a rotten 44% on Rotten Tomatoes — Seth MacFarlane revealed to Today that there were no immediate plans for a sequel, although he notably wouldn't rule out the possibility of one either. In the years since that interview, MacFarlane has largely focused on other projects, most notably his live-action sci-fi series "The Orville."

While the future of the "Ted" franchise on the silver screen still seems uncertain, the foul-mouthed teddy bear is set to live on with the help of a streaming service. In June 2021, it was confirmed that a series focused on the character and a younger version of John Bennet would air on Peacock (via The Hollywood Reporter). Unsurprisingly, MacFarlane will also be heavily involved in this series as he will direct, write, executive produce, and star in all of the show's episodes. The star is also set to serve as a co-showrunner on the series, alongside former "Modern Family" writers Paul Corrigan and Brad Walsh.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new series is set to introduce a trio of new actors to the franchise. In addition to the news that Max Burkholder of "Parenthood" fame will replace Mark Wahlberg as John Bennet, the latest announcement also confirmed that Giorgia Whigham and Scott Grimes will join the new series. Notably, both of these actors have previously appeared in "The Orville." While Grimes is a series regular on the MacFarlane-led show, Whigham also guest-starred in a single episode of Season 1.