Universal Pictures is hoping to capitalize on the success of famous comedy writer Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad) and his first foray into filmmaking with 2012's "Ted."
The studio is hoping to begin filming Ted 2 sometime next June. However, in an interesting turn of events, it appears Universal doesn't have the rights to the comedy blockbuster at all. According to an investigative article from The Wall Street Journal, Ted was financed and produced by a privately backed company called Media Rights Capital, which in turn sold the distribution rights to Universal who then distributed and marketed the film.
"The studio has scheduled "Ted 2" for July 2015, but it hasn't yet secured an agreement to release it, according to people with knowledge of the continuing negotiations. MRC, meanwhile, has closed its own deals with director Seth MacFarlane and star Mark Wahlberg and expects to start shooting next June," the article reads.
It is said that it's unlikely that the company won't be able to come to terms on the production of a sequel. However, given these unique circumstances it would mean that Ted 2 would have to be released, if at all, by one of Universal's competitors.
"The scale of the movies being made independently has grown significantly in the past few years," said Rena Ronson, co-head of United Talent Agency's independent film group. There was a time when independents focused more on low-budget films, now they are backing projects that cost more than $100 million like "Elysium" and the upcoming "Wolf of Wall Street."
Lets hope these kinds of red tape dealings in Hollywood don't end up holding up production on a sequel to everyone's favorite foul-mouthed talking bear. What adventure would you like to see Ted and his Thunder Buddy encounter in a sequel? Comment and share your pitches with us below.
