Seth MacFarlane’s rowdy comedy sequel Ted 2 failed to live up to expectations this weekend at the US box office, opening in third place on a disappointing $32.9m (£20.9m) behind enduring powerhouses Inside Out and Jurassic World.
Jurassic World once again topped the chart for the third week in a row, Colin Trevorrow’s dinosaur disaster epic scoring another $54.2m in its third week on release and becoming the first film to hit $500m in North America in 2015. Pixar animation Inside Out was not far behind, pulling in $52.1m for a two-week total of $184.9m.
Some experts had predicted the weekend might see three films hitting $50m in North America for the first time ever. But Ted 2 ultimately struggled to compete with a double dose of box-office firepower. The sequel, featuring Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried and the voice of MacFarlane as the foul-mouthed talking teddy bear title character, eventually dipped much lower than 2012’s Ted ($54.4m on debut). It has also suffered from middling reviews in comparison to its predecessor, which was one of 2012’s biggest sleeper hits and went on to make $549m worldwide.
“You have to remember that no one expected Ted to do what it did,” Nicholas Carpou of studio Universal told the Hollywood Reporter. “So for Ted 2 to do $33m in a very crowded weekend isn’t bad. And we have a very good chance of playing out. Ted 2 will be a successful film for us.”
The only other wide release this weekend in a hugely competitive marketplace was the family-friendly adventure film Max, about a dog who returns from duty supporting US marines in Afghanistan to be adopted by his handler’s family after surviving a traumatic experience. Boaz Yakin’s drama, which cost just $20m to make, landed in fourth spot with $12.2m on debut.
US box office chart, 26-28 June
1. Jurassic World: $54.2m, $500m
2. Inside Out: $52.1m, $184.9m
3. Ted 2: $32.9m – NEW
4. Max: $12.2m – NEW
5. Spy: $7.8m, $88.3m
6. San Andreas: $5.2m, $141.8m
7. Dope: $2.8m, $11.7m
8. Insidious: Chapter 3: $2m, $49.7m
9. Mad Max: Fury Road: $1.7m, $147m
10. Avengers: Age of Ultron: $1.6m, $452.4m
