Possibly one of the funniest and bizarre movies to hit the big screen in the last decade has to be Seth Macfarlane’s 2012 hit, Ted. The film, starring names like Transformers‘ Mark Wahlberg and Family Guy‘s Mila Kunis, saw its popularity rising not only because of the beloved comedy style employed by Macfarlane, but also thanks to the lead actors’ brilliant performance alongside a CGI teddy bear who talks like a sailor.
The movie follows the story of John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) whose childhood wish of bringing his teddy bear (Macfarlane) to life suddenly came true, forcing the man to choose between his trusty and unhinged teddy bear, and his long-term girlfriend, Lori (Mila Kunis). The movie’s success was immense — the box office earnings amounted to over $500 million dollars in the United States alone. Naturally, a sequel to the story was imminent, and three years later, Ted 2 finally earned wings and hit theatres in 2015, but this time with a twist: Mila Kunis had been replaced by Amanda Seyfried.
Why was Mila Kunis replaced on Ted 2?
Not long after Ted wrapped up its production, Kunis and Ashton Kutcher announced their relationship. The duo first met on the sets of That ‘70s Show, where they co-starred when Kunis was 14 years old and Kutcher was 20. The couple’s relationship would blossom over the years, followed by Kutcher finally popping the question and putting a ring on Kunis’ finger. In 2015, the actors walked down the aisle hand in hand, officiating their relationship in Oak Glen, California.
Backtrack another month, and Macfarlane could be found on the big screen portraying Bennett again, this time alongside Giovani Ribisi, Jessica Barth, and suspiciously, everyone’s favorite Les Misérables actress, Amanda Seyfried. Obviously, everyone noticed the conspicuous lack of presence by the former lover introduced in the first installment, with rumors flowing regarding Kunis’s involvement in the cinematic series — primarily when the script had already been written with the actress in mind.
Eight months after Kunis and Kutcher’s engagement, the couple welcomed their firstborn daughter in February. Coincidentally, the arrival of the newborn overlapped with the filming schedule for Ted 2, which means Kunis was very pregnant during the production of the film. The filming took place between July and November of the previous year, meaning Kunis would’ve been at least six months pregnant — when it is nearly impossible to hide a pregnancy on camera. Nonetheless, it wouldn’t be until Kunis held a “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit, that the actress would finally confirm the reason why she missed out on Ted 2.
When prompted by a fan who wondered why the actress wasn’t in the film, Kunis responded that “a little thing called ‘a pregnancy’ got in the way of me and production. But I wish them all the best and I’m sure the movie will be hysterical.” She was right about that!
As for whether there is yet another sequel in the beloved comedy franchise’s future, the good news is that there will be more of the rude and upfront teddy bear — but in a series format. In June, Macfarlane teased a Ted prequel series, which will be keeping the story from the first movie in mind. The series will follow the story from the first movie, but from 1993, meaning Kunis’ chances of partaking in the show are very low.
If you want to reunite with Ted and watch Kunis as Lori once again, the film is available on Amazon Prime Video.