The summer box office shows no signs of cooling down this weekend, as “Ted 2″ enters a crowded blockbuster field that already boasts “Jurassic World” and “Inside Out.”
The bawdy comedy about a teddy bear who enjoys such simple pleasures as bong rips, cold ones and “Law & Order” marathons will likely earn $50 million when it debuts across 3,441 theaters. That’s in line with the $54 million that the first “Ted” generated when it hit screens in 2012. The sequel cost $85 million to produce and was co-financed by Media Rights Capital. It brings back stars Seth MacFarlane and Mark Wahlberg, but cycles in Amanda Seyfried for Mila Kunis.
“Ted 2’s” likely success continues Universal Pictures’ torrid streak at the multiplexes. With the year hovering at midpoint, the studio has already rolled out “Furious 7,” “Pitch Perfect 2,” “Fifty Shades of Grey” and “Jurassic World,” a box office Indominus rex that set new high-water marks for opening weekend receipts.
Even with such a sizable kickoff, “Ted 2″ may not capture the top slot on the box office charts. In its second weekend of release, “Inside Out” is also expected to generate more than $50 million. That’s less than a 50% drop from its $91 million debut, a signal that the story of a teenage girl’s emotional life has burrowed into the popular consciousness and won’t let go. Previous Pixar films such as “Toy Story 3″ and “Monsters University” have all shown impressive staying power, and “Inside Out” should benefit from ecstatic reviews.
In “Jurassic World’s” third week of release, its grosses will clock in at roughly $55 million as “Ted 2″ nibbles at its core audience of younger males.
