Box Office Preview: Can ‘Ted 2’ Top ‘Jurassic World,’ ‘Inside Out’?

Hollywood’s raunchiest teddy bear is hoping to take out a pack of crazed dinosaurs and an 11-year-old’s emotions in what’s shaping up to be a crowded — and prosperous — race at the North American box office this weekend.

Filmmaker Seth MacFarlane‘s R-rated Ted 2 opens three years after the first film turned into a global blockbuster, and reteams him with star Mark Wahlberg (in addition to directing, MacFarlane voices the bear). Universal is releasing Ted 2 on behalf of Media Rights Capital.

Ted 2 is widely expected to open to $50 million, potentially putting it in close race with tenacious holdovers Jurassic World and Pixar’s Inside Out. The original Ted debuted to $54 million on the same weekend in 2012, but that film faced less competition. Inside Out and Jurassic World could both continue to overperform, and out-run Ted 2.
 
MacFarlane produced the live action/CG-animated comedy alongside Bluegrass Films’ Scott Stuber, Jason Clark and John Jacobs. New actors to the series are Amanda Seyfried, John Slattery and Morgan Freeman, while New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady makes a cameo.

Ted 2, costing $85 million to make, is tracking particularly well among younger males, as expected.

The weekend’s other new nationwide offering, Max, is looking to do much more modest business, with a debut in the $10 million range. From MGM, the family friendly film, costing less than $20 million to make, follows the relationship between a dog who returns from service in Afghanistan traumatized by his handler’s death, and develops a bond with the dead Marine’s son.

Warners has double duty this weekend, between releasing Max on behalf of MGM and New Line’s documentary Batkid Begins, which opens in three theaters in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York.

The doc tells the story of Miles Scott, the child battling cancer whose wish was to be “Batkid,” the sidekick of Batman, the world’s most famous superhero. In November 2013, his wish was granted when San Francisco was turned into Gotham City, making headlines around the world.

Other titles opening in limited runs include Focus Features’ A Little Chaos, a historical drama starring Kate Winslet.

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