From a novel live action movie that romped through cinemas in 2012, as 2025 nears its close some 13 years later, Ted is now a fully-fledged comedy franchise. The bad-mouthed bear comes to life story has been running riot of late, even with the diminishing returns at the box office a decade ago.
Just two Ted movies made over $770 million worldwide in 2012 and 2015, but the first film collected over $556 million of that haul. Even so, growing the franchise has proven to be a savvy move. Not only has a live-action prequel TV series been very popular, but on the way now is Ted’s new adult animated sequel series.
Letting Animation Carry Ted’s Next Adventures
One of the biggest selling points of Ted has been that you can see this teddy bear walking, moving around, drinking, and cursing in the real world. It fully realises the premise, but ultimately, it’s the writing behind the CGI that keeps people coming back for more.
Just in case Seth MacFarlane bringing Ted to the realm of adult animation isn’t enough, the series will be getting Mark Wahlberg and Amanda Seyfried in to voice their characters from Ted 2. As is detailed in the THR report, Jessica Barth will also be reprising her role from the movies, with Kyle Mooney and Liz Richman cast, too.
The animated sequel series for Ted looks set to arrive on Peacock alongside the live-action prequel series that enjoyed a strong debut and, despite being rather expensive to make, will be coming back for a second run. Banking on MacFarlane’s distinct brand of comedy, Peacock is making itself the home of Ted.
Continuing to Expand the World of Ted
Despite the very bankable premise, Ted remains unique in the entertainment space. While Ted 2 didn’t reach the heights of the first film, clearly people remained fond of Seth MacFarlane playing a naughty bear. The prequel series, even without the star power of Wahlberg, Seyfried, or Mila Kunis, has done very well.
The first show ranked among Peacock’s most popular shows when it debuted, with critics and audiences giving it rather good scores. A very expensive show, the second season was said to almost be cancelled due to costs. Still, the studio saw its potential and carried on. In January this year, filming wrapped for Ted Season 2.
It’s not just on TV that Ted’s risen to prominence, either. Arguably, Ted has been even more successful in the world of online casino gaming. Headlined by Ted Megaways, it’s a big favourite at the Megaways casino despite the presence of eternal hits like Big Bass Bonanza Megaways and Centurion Megaways.
As well as this, there’s the original Ted online slot and Ted Afterparty, both of which also feature the main character prominently and have features that let players experience his high jinks in a new way. A live-action TV show, a couple of films, and these games create a sprawling franchise for Ted.
The upcoming animated sequel show was confirmed as coming along in the middle of this year. So, given that filming has now wrapped on the prequel show, there’s a chance that 2026 will feature two new Ted entries.