With a movie like Ted or, more relevant to this discussion, Ted 2, there are two types of casting, beyond confirmation of original stars returning: The kind we want to hear about and the kind we probably don't, and hopefully won't. The latter applies to the anticipated celebrity cameos whose arrivals play out best when you don't know they're coming. Morgan Freeman would be a prime candidate for such a random appearance, however news that he's boarding the cast of Seth MacFarlane's anticipated Ted followup indicates that his arrival isn't one of the reported cameos.
Variety has reported confirmation today that Morgan Freeman has signed on to play "an iconic civil rights lawyer who comes into the picture when Ted needs to resolve some legal issues." Are Ted's civil liberties in jeopardy in some way? It causes us to wonder, what rights does a talking bear have in this country? Sounds like Freeman's character will be involved in sorting that out one way or the other.
Variety goes on to note that MacFarlane showed interest in bringing Morgan Freeman into the sequel from the start, as he was looking for a "high-profile actor" for a fun role. Freeman certainly is high-profile, and he's proven time and again that he can handle fun as well as he can handle serious roles.
It was on this day in 1994 that Shawshank Redemption made its debut at TIFF. While Frank Darabont's feature adaptation of Stephen King's novella was by no means Freeman's first role -- his credits go back a bit further than that -- for many, the part of the contraband smuggling Red in Shawshank is one of his best roles in film. Twenty years later, Freeman is as busy as ever, stacking up roles in major projects. That includes Now You See Me (and the upcoming sequel, due out in 2016), the part of Vitruvius in The Lego Movie, Professor Norman in Lucy and roles in Transcendence and Dolphin Tale 2, to name a few. He's also expected to appear in the upcoming Olympus has Fallen sequel, London has Fallen.
Ted comes from Seth MacFarlane and stars Mark Wahlberg as John, a man who's still best friends with his childhood pal Ted, who happens to be a talking, living stuffed bear. As one might expect from a comedy by and starring Seth MacFarlane, the tone of the first film was comical, focusing on the ridiculous shenanigans of a grown stuffed bear who's still as devoted to John in adulthood as he was when they were kids. We'll have to wait and see how that relationship has developed since then in the sequel.
In Ted 2, Morgan Freeman joins returning stars Mark Wahlberg, Jessica Barth and Patrick Warburton, along with Ted newcomer Amanda Seyfried, who worked with Seth MacFarlane on A Million Ways To Die In The West. And, of course, Seth MacFarlane is directing, co-writing and voice-starring as the titular stuffed bear, Ted.
Ted 2 is filming new and due to hit theaters June 26, 2015.
