Here’s why Mila Kunis didn’t return for 2015 sequel Ted 2. Seth MacFarlane is best known as the creator of Family Guy, but while he may have evolved into something of a name brand, it took a few years to reach that point. While early seasons of Family Guy enjoyed a cult following its ratings and reviews were mixed, and it was cancelled in 2002. The advent of DVD and successful re-runs proved there was life in the show yet and it was revived in 2005. The resurrected show was a major hit and the series is still running to this day.
The success of Family Guy soon saw MacFarlane dipping into other animated shows, including American Dad! and spinoff The Cleveland Show. He also branched out to movies, voicing Johann Krauss in Hellboy II: The Golden Army and directing 2012’s Ted. While the premise may sound like a children’s movie – where a young boy’s teddy bear magically comes to life – it’s anything but. Ted is about what happens when the boy and teddy grow up together, with both becoming foul-mouthed layabouts who have to learn to grow up. Seth MacFarlane voiced the title character while Mark Wahlberg played main character John.
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Ted opened to surprisingly strong reviews, with critics being impressed by its mix of laughs and heart. It was also a major, R-rated hit and grossed nearly $550 million worldwide. Those are the kinds of numbers that practically guarantee a sequel, but like many comedy sequels – think Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues or Caddyshack II – lightning didn’t strike twice. Ted 2 has some laughs and an interesting premise with the title character fighting for his rights to be seen as a person, but it felt forced compared to the original.
Ted 2 also noticeably lacked Mila Kunis as Lori, John’s girlfriend and eventual fiancee in the first entry. Kunis didn’t return for the sequel, but there’s a couple of very logical reasons for that. First up is that the original concept for Ted 2 was scrapped, which saw John and Ted on a wacky cross country trip smuggling weed. Lori was still a major part of that storyline, but this was scrapped due to the release of 2013’s We’re The Millers, which featured a very similiar concept. The plot was changed to Ted’s legal battle, which necessitated the need for a lawyer character and, according to MacFarlane at least, this left little room for Lori to play a role.
Mila Kunis was also pregnant around the time Ted 2 was due to film, which is another key reason Lori wasn’t featured. Instead, the sequel mentioned John and Lori are divorced, and he later falls for Amanda Seyfried’s lawyer Samantha Jackson. While the follow-up did reasonable business, the gross was less than half of Ted’s haul, putting doubt on a third entry coming together.
