Deadline New York is reporting that Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane will make his live-action directing debut on Ted, an R-rated comedy about a man and his teddy bear.
The Universal Studios film, which has a reported budget of $65 million, will feature a mix of live action and computer generated animation. In addition to directing, MacFarlane will also provide the voice of the titular CG teddy bear.
To write the script, MacFarlane teamed-up with Family Guy writers Alec Sulkin and Wellsley Wild. MacFarlane’s directing duties on Ted will be in addition to his continuing role as supervisor on Family Guy, American Dad! and The Cleveland Show.
The Buzz: I was a huge Family Guy fan back in the day; re-watching the show non-stop during high school and then again when it was finally released on DVD.
While I have slacked off a little in watching the show since it returned to Fox a few years ago, I still enjoy it whenever I can catch it on TV. The same goes for American Dad!, a show I feel has really come into its own in the last few years. I tried an episode of The Cleveland Show and it just didn’t do it for me — though I fully intend to give it another chance when it arrives on DVD.
I look forward to Ted as long as it represents something new for Seth MacFarlane and not just a recycling of the go-to formulas he has used on all three of his animated shows.
In the last year, my father has become a huge fan of Family Guy thanks to the show’s perpetual syndicated repeats — even developing his own impressions of several of the characters. While he’s not one to normally go to the movies, I look forward to going to see Ted with him when it arrives in theaters next year.
Sound off: What do you think of Seth MacFarlane’s transition into movies? Would you have rather seen a Family Guy movie? Or maybe you’re not much of a Family Guy fan and would have rather seen MacFarlane cast out into the void. Let us know if you’re looking forward to Ted. God knows it can’t be worse then C-Bear and Jamal.
