Morgan Freeman to join Seth MacFarlane in ‘Ted 2’

Morgan Freeman, the familiar voice of authority and gravitas, is set to team up with Seth MacFarlane, the Boston-accented voice of vulgar comedy, in “Ted 2,” The Times has confirmed.

Variety first reported the news that Freeman, 77, will star in the sequel to the 2012 comedy about a grown man (Mark Wahlberg) whose best friend is a profane, hard-living teddy bear that was brought to life by a boyhood wish and simply stuck around.

Plot details for the sequel are scarce, but according to Variety, Freeman is to play an iconic civil-rights lawyer called upon to help Ted with his legal troubles.

As with the first film, MacFarlane is directing, co-writing (with Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild), and voicing the eponymous stuffed animal. “Ted 2” is currently shooting in Boston, with Wahlberg and new female lead Amanda Seyfried also on board. Universal will release the film June 26, 2015.

The original “Ted” was a surprise hit in 2012, raking in $549 million at the worldwide box office and becoming the highest-grossing R-rated movie of the year. However, MacFarlane’s big-screen follow-up, “A Million Ways to Die in the West,” was a critical and commercial dud earlier this year.

As for Freeman, the actor remains busy as ever, having already appeared in “The Lego Movie,” “Transcendence” and “Lucy” this year, and with “Dolphin Tale 2” opening Friday.

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