Box Office: 'Ant-Man' Takes #1 with Smallish $58M Debut; 'Trainwreck' Avoids Disaster with $30M

1. Ant-Man (review here)- $58M
In the weeks leading up to the release of Ant-Man, it seemed Marvel was getting a little bit desperate to kick up interest in the B-List character. But they really had nothing to worry about for a number of reasons. The film opened with a solid $58M, which may be the lowest for Marvel since 2008's $55M debut of The Incredible Hulk, but it's also the least expensive film they've produced to date. Add that it features a character few recognize, and that it has earned $114M worldwide when international numbers are factored in should make Marvel execs plenty happy. There was some hope it would perform similar to another offbeat Marvel offering, Guardians of the Galaxy, but that was never going to be in the cards. First of all, Ant-Man is a brand new solo franchise, Marvel's first since Captain America: The First Avenger, and it lacks the same level of star power. All in all, the film performed well enough that if Marvel decides to move forward on a sequel they should be solid enough footing to do so. If $58M domestic is considered "weak" by Marvel standards then they can live with that.
2. Minions- $50.2M/$216.6M
Tumbling 57% from last week, those pesky little Minions may end up falling short of the heights reached by the preceding two Despicable Me movies, especially since a ton of family-friendly choices are on the way, starting with Adam Sandler's Pixels next week.
3. Trainwreck (review here)- $30.2M
Amy Schumer may be wildly popular on TV, but it was unclear if that would translate to the big screen, even with the assistance of Judd Apatow. Fortunately all worked out as Trainwreck opened to $30.2M, the second biggest of Apatow's career and a breakthrough performance for Schumer. While some had debated whether the film could possibly top Ant-Man this week, that was never going to happen. First of all, the R-rating limited its audience to a certain degree, plus the polarizing nature of Schumer's act probably had some waiting for the reviews to rollout before deciding if it was worth paying to see. Given that the buzz from critics has been overwhelmingly positive, don't be surprised if Trainwreck steams along the tracks for awhile.
4. Inside Out- $11.6M/$306.3M
5. Jurassic World- $11.4M/$611.1M
6. Terminator Genisys- $5.4M/$80.6M
7. Magic Mike XXL- $4.5M/$58.6M
8. The Gallows- $4M/$18M
9. Ted 2- $2.7M/$77.4M
10. Mr. Holmes- $2.48M
Also debuting this week was Mr. Holmes, in which Sir Ian McKellen plays the world famous detective Sherlock Holmes post-retirement. So this is more of a character study than the bombastic Guy Ritchie movies led by Robert Downey Jr., but the $2.4M opening for Roadside Attractions in limited release shows audiences love the sleuth however they can get him.

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Box Office: 'Minions' Rule with $115M Debut

1. Minions- $115.2M
Proving that the Minions are perfectly capable on their own, their titular Despicable Me spinoff opened to a mind-blowing $115M, the second biggest ever for an animated film, trailing only Shrek the Third's $121M. It's an interesting film in that Minions is a prequel, but it scored numbers that are the biggest of the franchise by a wide margin. This is also the largest opening weekend for voice star Sandra Bullock, which is no small feat. The question now is how Despicable Me plays off of this. Will it do even better? Or is it true that people are more interested in the minions than Gru and his adventures?
2. Jurassic World- $18.1M/$590.6M
3. Inside Out- $17.1M/$283.6M
4. Terminator Genisys- $13.7/$68.7M
While it looks like Terminator Genisys will struggle to hit $100M domestic, it has earned $224M worldwide which isn't too awful. Still, these numbers don't inspire much confidence in seeing the planned trilogy through.
5. The Gallows- $10M
Another cheapie found horror from the folks at Blumhouse, The Gallows has endured some truly crushing reviews to earn its $10M opening weekend. Considering it cost practically nothing and has no stars anyone would recognize, this result should make everybody happy.
6. Magic Mike XXL- $9.6M/$48.3M
7. Ted 2- $5.6M/$71.6M
8. Self/Less- $5.3M
Ryan Reynolds may have been the star of Comic-Con with the Deadpool trailer everyone fell in love with (including me), but until that film comes out his career is still floundering. His latest film, the body-swapping sci-fi movie Self/Less, opened weakly with $5.3M. Co-starring Ben Kingsley and directed by the visual maestro Tarsem Singh, the film received awful reviews (I thought it was okay) and never seemed to have a solid marketing angle. This marks a low for Singh, as well, which is interesting since it is also his least interesting film from a visual standpoint.
9. Baahhubali: The Beginning- $3.5M
10. Max- $3.4M/$33.7M

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*UPDATE* Box Office: 'Terminator Genisys', 'Magic Mike XXL' Off to Slow Starts

*UPDATE* Turns out Pixar's Inside Out narrowly beat Jurassic World last weekend, taking #1 for the first time since it opened. The updated numbers are below:

1. Inside Out- $29.7/$245.8M
2. Jurassic World- $29.2M/$556.5M
3. Terminator Genisys (review here)- $28.7M/$44.1M
Well, he said he'd be back, but Arnold Schwarzenegger couldn't bring Terminator Genisys up to the franchise's box office standards. The fifth film in the sci-fi series James Cameron built opened to $44.1M over the five-day holiday weekend, and $28.7M from Friday-thru-Sunday. Given the terrible reviews and mediocre box office, it unfortunately lands in the same territory as 2009's Terminaor Salvation, a failed reboot remembered only for Christian Bale's on-set tantrums.'Genisys' has had problems basically from the start, though, especially in the marketing department. Fans were upset that a major plot point was spoiled so casually, while others have balked at the storyline which twists the classic narrative. Even more were against the casting of just about everybody except for Schwarzenegger. On the bright side, foreign markets tend to be really kind to Terminator movies, and this one's no different with $85.5M earned overseas so far. But on the other hand, this is the July 4th weekend which tends to be huge for blockbuster debuts, and that didn't happen here. So what happens now? The plan was for this to be the kickoff to a new trilogy and accompanying TV series, but obviously those plans have to be in doubt.
4. Magic Mike XXL (review here)- $11.6M/$26.6M
The first Magic Mike film was essentially a low-budget indie, directed by Steven Soderbergh and costing only $7M, but it had a cast of superstars that led it to a blockbuster performance. The film ended with $167M, powered by the muscled frames of Matthew McConaughy, Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello and more. The sequel, Magic Mike XXL, isn't going to come close to those numbers, but it doesn't really need to. It scored $27M since the Wednesday opening, but it only cost $14M so who cares? There are a couple of obvious reasons for the downturn. First of all, both Jurassic World and Inside Out maintained their dominance this week, and the arrival of Terminator Genisys didn't help. Second: the first film played almost exclusively to women, which explains why they made up 96% of the sequel's audience. The sad thing is, Magic Mike XXL is more of a guys' flick with road trips and silly shenanigans and hot women. Considering how inexpensive these movies are it wouldn't be a surprise to get Magic Mike 3: Strippers Take Manhattan or something along those lines.
5. Ted 2- $11M/$58.3M
6. Max- $6.6M/$25.3M
7. Spy- $5.5M/$97.8M
8. San Andreas- $3M/$147.3M
9. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl- $1.3M/$4M
10. Dope- $1M/$14.1M

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Box Office: 'Jurassic World' Remains on Top; 'Ted 2' Bears with $33M Debut

1. Jurassic World- 54.2M/$500M
In its third week Jurassic World continues to trample the competition with an amazing $54M and hitting the $500M in blazing fashion. At this number it has now surpassed Avengers: Age of Ultron to be the top domestic film of 2015, and is now 8th worldwide all-time with $1.238B. Wow.
2. Inside Out- $52.1M/$184.9M
While Pixar's Inside Out may never hit #1 in the weekly box office race, its overall numbers are the best the studio has had since Toy Story 3.  The imaginative journey through a young girl's mind earned $52M and slipped only 42%, so it's not going anywhere anytime soon.
3. Ted 2 (review here)- $33M
Maybe it's a matter of outsized competition like Jurassic World and Inside Out, but Seth MacFarlane's Ted 2 opened with a relatively modest $33M, well off the $54M pace set by the original. The first film broke $500M and was the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy ever, which was a mountain nobody expected this one to climb. Perhaps audiences were just plain over it; the novelty of a crude, pot-smoking bear is fun for awhile but hardly the stuff of franchises. Whatever the case, the film isn't performing as strong as some would have thought, but at a cost of only $68M it certainly won't be a flop, and it could still prove to be huge overseas just as the prior one was.
4. Max- $12.2M
The family-friendly canine drama Max sunk its teeth into a solid $12.2M debut, not bad for a film surrounded by blockbusters. Perhaps its still capitalizing on the good will inspired by American Sniper, as there are similar thematic parallels dealing with PTSD, only in this case it has to do with a military dog whose handler is killed in Afghanistan. All of this is decent news for a $20M production with no big name stars. Then again it did have one cool-looking soldier dog gracing the posters so that might have helped.
5. Spy- $7.8M/$88.3M
6. San Andreas- $5.2M/$141.8M
7. Dope- $2.8M/$11.7M
The interesting thing about Dope is that everybody loves it; the reviews out of Sundance were phenomenal, and the marketing has been all over the place. You can't turn on a TV without an ad for Dope turning up, pushing the urban summer comedy. And yet its numbers are only average, possibly due to all of the money being sucked up by bigger films. Perhaps a later release, closer to the tail end of summer, would have helped.
8. Mad Max: Fury Road- $1.7M/$147M
9. Avengers: Age of Ultron- $1.6M/$452M
10. Pitch Perfect 2- $1.3M/$180.9M

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Review: Seth MacFarlane's 'Ted 2' Starring Mark Wahlberg, Amanda Seyfried, and Morgan Freeman

The problem with sequels, especially those crafted by the same minds behind the first film, is that they inevitably get greedy. That goes double for a film like Ted 2, a sequel to Seth MacFarlane's unexpectedly robust Ted, which finished up its raunchy run with more than $500M, a record for R-rated comedies. MacFarlane is a brilliant guy; whatever one wants to say about Family Guy or his stable of button-pushing animated ventures, MacFarlane is smart enough to know that his style of humor connects with people. And because of that, he knows he can use comedy to try and say something important. That's a great idea, but Ted 2 probably wasn't the right vehicle for him to do it.

That's not to say Ted 2 isn't funny; it's often quite hilarious and crude in all of the ways we expect. There are more jokes about more bodily fluids than anyone should ever hope for, and there's enough pot smoke to keep Method Man and Redman high for years. But MacFarlane is grasping at something profound with his screenplay, and every attempt he makes to say something relevant is undercut by the inevitable rude or racist joke, or somebody smoking out of a penis bong.

The MacFarlane indulgence begins near the beginning with a rousing Broadway musical number that goes on way too long and adds nothing to the narrative. MacFarlane's love of these big musical acts is well known but this one lasts an eternity. From there the story kicks off in the same delightfully loopy tone as the original, albeit with a few real-world circumstances. Ted and his gal Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth) decide to get married, but it's a bittersweet event as John (Mark Wahlberg) is still grieving over his divorce to Lori (Mila Kunis, who doesn't appear at all). So he indulges in more weed with his teddy bear pal, but it isn't long before he too is facing a marital crisis. Ted and Tami-Lynn's marriage hits a roadblock and they are fighting non-stop, so John comes up with the kind of hair-brained idea only a complete moron would come up with: have a baby to save the marriage.

So this is what the movie is going to be about, right? Ted and Tami-Lynn trying to have a kid? For a while, yes, but MacFarlane has never been very good at walking down a straight path, narratively speaking. He indulges in too many subplots that add nothing, including a last-minute kidnapping scheme involving the return of Giovanni Ribisi's stalker character. The film's best gags occur while Ted and Tami-Lynn are trying to figure out how to become parents because obviously it's going to be tough since he's a stuffed animal. There's a disastrous and gag-worthy trip to the sperm clinic, and an attempt to steal the golden semen from NFL QB Tom Brady. These scenes are great, simple, and allow MacFarlane to indulge in being as offensive as possible.

But then MacFarlane gets greedy. Ted and Tami-Lynn attempt to adopt a child, only to learn that the state of Massachusetts doesn't consider him to be an actual human being. He has no social security number, he doesn't pay taxes, and he doesn't exist as anything other than property. So his marriage to Tami-Lynn is revoked and he even loses his job, but if he wants to have a child he'll need to sue for his rights. Yes, Ted 2 becomes a courtroom movie about Ted's fight to be considered equal. Ugh. Ted and John hire a starry-eyed young lawyer named Samantha (Amanda Seyfried) to try their case, but when things get tough they go on a pot-filled road trip to New York to try and hire a big shot attorney played by Morgan Freeman, who sadly seems out-of-place here.

The problem is that MacFarlane is trying desperately hard to equate Ted's plight to the struggles of African-Americans and gays, but his approach is incredibly clumsy. Simply showing a brief scene from Roots isn't going to cut it, and it's tough to take serious when Seyfried is in court equating a teddy bear's rights Dredd Scott and people who literally fought and died just to be considered. We get that the point MacFarlane is trying to make is that anyone who feels is deserving of equal respect, but isn't this the same Ted who has never contributed one decent thing to society ever? Interestingly, the defense actually makes that case against Ted and it rings truer than MacFarlane probably intended.

The dynamic between MacFarlane's Ted and Wahlberg is different this time, but we still believe in these two as "Thunder Buddies for life". Only now the focus has shifted to Ted's problems, not John's. That said, they still make a goofy pair of slacker buds we'd want to hang out with forever, watching Law & Order while high and obsessing over Sam "Flash Gordon" Jones.  Ever the genius when it comes to pissing all over pop culture icons, MacFarlane dreams up a couple of laugh-out-loud memorable scenes involving Jurassic Park and a field of weed, and a great Breakfast Club dance montage using Bone Symphony's classic "One Foot in Front of the Other".

MacFarlane flopped hard with A Million Ways to Die in the West, and compared to that Ted 2 is an unmitigated success. It's not nearly as funny, as vulgar, or as original as the first film, but there are still enough good laughs to make for a perfectly decent sequel. Hopefully if there's a third time hanging out with the bear and his human pal, MacFarlane will leave all the serious stuff elsewhere.

Rating: 3 out of 5

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Enter to Win Passes to An Advance Screening of 'Ted 2'

We're happy to offer our DC readers a chance to attend a free advance screening of Ted 2, Seth MacFarlane's sequel to the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy ever. MacFarlane returns to voice the foul-mouthed bear who is now looking to have a child with his girl, Tami Lynn, only to learn that he must prove he's a real person first. Mark Wahlberg, Morgan Freeman, Amanda Seyfried, Jessica Barth, Liam Neeson, and Giovanni Ribisi co-star.

The screening takes place on Tuesday, June 23rd at 7:30pm at Regal Gallery Place. To enter to win one Admit-Two pass for the event, please complete the steps in the below contest form. Winners will be selected and contacted by email on Monday, June 15th.

Ted 2 hits theaters on June 26th.

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Mark Wahlberg's Too High to get Home in New Red Band Trailer for 'Ted 2'

If you've noticed an uptick in crude teddy bear humor it's because Seth MacFarlane's Ted 2 is only weeks away and the marketing push has begun in earnest. To that end, a new red band trailer has been released that basically recycles the jokes from two prior red bands, while giving away a few more that we haven't seen yet.

Wahlberg and McFarlane are back as thunder buddies John and Ted, with the latter hoping to have a child with his new wife, Tami-Lynn (Jessica Barth). To do it he'll need to use John's sperm, but to have custody of the kid Ted will need to prove to a court of law, led by Morgan Freeman, that he's a real person. None of that matters in this trailer, though, which is mostly just a bunch of weed jokes.

Also starring Amanda Seyfried and Liam Neeson, Ted 2 opens June 26th.

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Tom Brady Throws a Perfect Spiral in 'Ted 2' Red Band Trailer

Seth MacFarlane's A Million Ways to Die in the West may have been a massive bust (Think Sandler's Ridiculous 6 will be worse? Discuss.), but he's still the mastermind behind the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all-time. That would be Ted, and audiences genuinely love the vulgar, oversexed, dirty-minded teddy bear, which is why a sequel to the $549M hit is on the way with a brand new trailer.

Ted 2 has the MacFarlane-voiced bear reteaming with Mark Wahlberg as his "thunder buddy" John, with Amanda Seyfried, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson co-starring. Mila Kunis is still around but in a smaller role, and Jessica Barth returns as Ted's girlfriend Tammi-Lynn. John and Ted's relationship takes a weirder-than-usual turn when John is asked to be the sperm donor so Ted and Tammi-Lynn can have a baby, and that causes all kinds of legal entanglements because....well, he's a freaking stuffed animal.

Ted 2 opens on June 26th.

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New Posters for 'Magic Mike XXL', 'The Peanuts Movie', 'Ted 2', and 'Black Mass'

Jada Pinkett Smith struts her stuff on a new Magic Mike XXL character poster. Yes, there are women in this thing, too. Hopefully that means we'll be getting an Amber Heard poster soon. Pinkett plays a club owner who crosses paths with Mike and the rest of the boys. She joins Channing Tatum, Joe Manganiello, Adam Rodriguez, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Strahan, Matt Bomer, Andie MacDowell, and more in the July 1st release. SYNOPSIS: Picking up the story three years after Mike bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, “Magic Mike XXL” finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blow-out performance in Myrtle Beach, and with legendary headliner Magic Mike sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways.

Pig Pen, the dirtiest member of the Charles M. Schulz's Peanuts crew, gets his own character poster. The Peanuts Movie is produced by Paul Feig and directed by Steve Martino, and the animation has really captured the look and feel of the old Peanuts cartoons and comic strips. The film opens in 3D on November 6th. SYNOPSIS: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus and the rest of the beloved “Peanuts” gang make their big-screen debut, like they’ve never been seen before, in state of the art 3D animation. Snoopy, the world’s most lovable beagle ­ and flying ace ­embarks upon his greatest mission as he takes to the skies to pursue his arch-nemesis The Red Baron, while his best pal, Charlie Brown, begins his own epic quest.  From the imagination of Charles M. Schulz and the creators of the ICE AGE films, THE PEANUTS MOVIE will prove that every underdog has his day. 

If anybody would be in favor of legalizing marijuana, it would be Seth MacFarlane's crude, crass, pot-smokin' bear, Ted. The trouble-making teddy bear is back and facing some kind of legal trouble in Ted 2, which brings back Mark Wahlberg as his human pal John, and brings in new characters played by Amanda Seyfried, Morgan Freeman, and Liam Neeson. In this film Ted is actually looking to have a baby with Tammy Lynn (Jessica Barth), but to do it he has to go to court. Ooookay. Ted 2 opens June 26th.

Wow, the people are going nuts over the first trailer for Black Mass, which stars Johnny Depp as real life gangster, Whitey Bulger. It's definitely showcasing a different, more menacing side of Depp than we've ever seen, and that's got his fans excited to see if the film delivers. Let's hope so. For now, feat on this new poster for the film that shows off some of Bulger's handywork. Directed by Scott Cooper, Black Mass opens September 18th. SYNOPSIS: BLACK MASS tells the true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.  However, after the Feds closed in on their targets, they double crossed Bulger and ultimately prosecuted him, along with his partner in crime and the original FBI agent working with him.

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Tom Brady Hurls Mark Wahlberg in the 'Ted 2' Super Bowl TV Spot

Only a few days have passed since the first trailer for Ted 2 debuted, and already a new tv spot has been dropped specifically for tonight's Super Bowl. And speaking of things getting passed, Mark Wahlberg and Ted both get thrown by New England Patriots QB Tom Brady after an awkward encounter in his bedroom.

Directed and starring Seth MacFarlane with Amanda Seyfried, Morgan Freeman, Dennis Haysbert, Liam Neeson, and Mila Kunis co-starring, Ted 2 opens June 26th.

SYNOPSIS: Seth MacFarlane returns as writer, director and voice star of Ted 2, Universal and Media Rights Capital’s follow-up to the highest-grossing original R-rated comedy of all time.  Joined once again by star Mark Wahlberg and fellow Ted writers Alec Sulkin & Wellesley Wild, MacFarlane produces the live action/CG-animated comedy alongside Bluegrass Films’ Scott Stuber, as well as John Jacobs and Jason Clark.

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First Trailer for 'Ted 2' Brings Even More Potty Humor

Are you ready for more crude, vulgar, deliberately offensive humor from Seth MacFarlane? No, I'm not talking about a sequel to A Million Ways to Die in the West because nobody in their right minds wants that; I'm talking about the return of the world's most foul-mouthed bear in Ted 2, and here's the first trailer filled with all the potty humor one could hope for.

Mark Wahlberg returns as John with MacFarlane back as the voice of Ted, and this time they'll have a new female lead in Amanda Seyfried. So what's up with Mila Kunis as John's girlfriend? She's in the film but in a much smaller role, although the reasons why aren't made clear by any of this footage. We knew the plot required Ted to get a civil rights attorney, played by Seyfried with Morgan Freeman also as a high-powered lawyer, but now it's clear it has something to do with his marriage and impending fatherhood. Cue the jokes about bodily fluids!

This looks more immature than ever, and that's exactly what fans of the first film want. Ted 2 opens on June 26th.

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Mark Wahlberg and Ted take a Dive in First Image from 'Ted 2'

People love to hear Seth MacFarlane on Family Guy. They loved hearing Seth MacFarlane in the $500M-grossing Ted. They didn't like to actually see MacFarlane in A Million Ways to Die in the West. Hence, we're getting a Ted 2 so we don't have to see his mug anymore, and the first image from it is here featuring Mark Wahlberg with the verbally abusive teddy bear.

The image shows John (Wahlberg) and Ted about to go on a scuba dive (maybe they've grown into Scuba Buddies?), but we have no idea why. Perhaps it has something to do with their need for a big shot civil rights lawyer played by Morgan Freeman? Amanda Seyfried takes over the female lead while Mila Kunis slips into a supporting role, so clearly something has happened on the romantic front for poor John.

Ted 2 opens on June 26th 2015. [EW]

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Natalie Dormer is 'Patient Zero'; Liam Neeson Cameos in 'Ted 2'; Patrick Wilson Joins 'Bone Tomahawk'

Game of Thrones' Natalie Dormer will continue her busy steak by starring in Patient Zero, a zombie apocalypse thriller from Stefan Ruzowitzky, the Oscar-winning director of The Counterfeiters. Written by Mike Le, Patient Zero centers on one man with the ability to speak with the undead and hopes to use that power to end the zombie outbreak, saving his wife in the process. Dormer will be seen next in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. [Deadline]

While Seth MacFarlane's comedy-western A Million Ways to Die in the West drew tumbleweeds earlier this year, he apparently had a good time working with Liam Neeson. MacFarlane revealed on Twitter that Neeson was part of Ted 2, but didn't say much about his role. It's likely to be just a cameo as it sounds like he was only on set for a day. He joins the returning Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, with Amanda Seyfried taking on the female lead this time and Morgan Freeman playing a famous civil rights attorney. Ted 2 opens June 26th 2015.

Patrick Wilson and Matthew Fox have joined the intriguing horror Western, Bone Hawk, which already has Kurt Russell and Richard Jenkins starring. Directed by S. Craig Zahler, the story follows a sheriff (Russell), a gunslinger, a befuddled oldster (Jenkins) and a cowboy as they attempt to rescue a group of captives  from a band of cannibalistic troglodytes. Wilson plays a driven and thoughtful cowboy whose rise to the foreman position of a cattle outfit is interrupted by an unfortunate accident that reshapes his life in unforeseen ways. Fox will play John Brooder, the eloquent, albeit inscrutable gentleman whose dark inclinations have put him and his polished weapons at the very edge of the western frontier.

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Kate Mara Eyes 'The Martian'; John Leguizamo goes to 'Meadowland; Dennis Haysbert Joins 'Ted 2'

Ridley Scott's adaptation of The Martian already has an incredible cast shaping up with Matt Damon in the lead and Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, and Mackenzie Davis circling roles, but now Deadline is reporting Kate Mara (House of Cards, Fantastic Four) has been made an offer. The Davis story wasn't out there long before this one came out, and it may be that Mara is in line for the same part. Penned by Drew Goddard, The Martian centers on an astronaut who must survive long enough to be rescued after he's stranded on Mars.

John Leguizamo, Merritt Wever (Emmy winner from Nurse Jackie), and Nick Sandow have joined Meadowland, the directorial debut of cinematographer Reed Morano. Olivia Wilde, Luke Wilson, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Ty Simpkins, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Mark Feuerstein, Kevin Corrigan and Juno Temple star in the drama about a New York couple who take very different approaches to healing after their son's disappearance. I'm a huge fan of Wever's and have been for years. Hopefully this leads to more big screen work for her.

Dennis Haysbert, last seen as Manute in Sin City: A Dame to Kill For, will make a "fun cameo" in Seth MacFarlane's Ted 2, joining Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Morgan Freeman, and Amanda Seyfried. All we know about the plot is that Ted will be in need of a high-powered civil rights attorney at some point, which to me already sounds funny.  Ted 2 opens June 26th 2015. Haysbert has also landed a role in Dead Rising, based on the hit Capcom video game. Zach Lipovksy (Leprechaun: Origins) is directing the zombie flick for exclusive premier on Crackle.com before receiving a multiplatform release. Haysbert will be seen next in the racial satire, Dear White People.

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Morgan Freeman Joins 'Ted 2', Jessica Chastain Boards 'The Death and Life of John F. Donovan'

For what possible reason could the vulgar stuffed bear Ted need of a civil rights lawyer? Who knows, but in the sequel to Seth MacFarlane's hit R-rated comedy he'll have one played by Morgan Freeman. Freeman, who will be seen this weekend in Dolphin Tale 2, will play a famous attorney in the film which brings back Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, along with Amanda Seyfried as the female lead. Ted 2 opens June 26th 2015. [Variety]

This week audiences will have a chance to check out Jessica Chastain in the melancholy romance, The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby, and while her schedule is packed she's adding one more project. She's set to star in The Death and Life of John F. Donovan, the English-language debut of Xavier Dolan. This all came about because of Chastain's love of his most recent film, Mommy, which took home a Jury Award at Cannes. Dolan calls the film a dramatic satire of the business, with Chastain as the antagonistic editor-in-chief of a gossip magazine. Sweet. [Bent]

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Kevin Costner is 'Criminal'; Jessica Barth Returns for 'Ted 2'; Mamie Gummer Joins 'Ricki and the Flash'

* Kevin Costner is suddenly busier than ever although that says nothing about the results of all these movies he's starring in lately. Draft Day, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, and the wretched Three Days to Kill have all done poorly, but maybe that will change with Costner's next project. He's in talks to star in Criminal, from The Iceman director Ariel Vromen. Costner will play “a ruthless killer who, rather than spend the rest of his life in jail, chooses to be used in a medical experiment in which the brain of a recently murdered field operative is implanted in his head.” Pretty nifty concept that Vromen can hopefully bring to life better than he did with The Iceman. [Variety]

* The chick who fell in love with a talking Teddy bear will be back for Ted 2 as Jessica Barth will reprise her role as trashy cashier, Tami-Lynn. Plot details are few but we know Seth MacFarlane will be back to voice Ted, co-write the script, and direct. Mark Wahlberg is also returning, joined by new addition Amanda Seyfried who will play his new love interest with Mila Kunis taking only a small role this time.

* Mamie Gummer, along with Kevin Kline, will join her mother Meryl Streep in Ricki and the Flash. Directed by Jonathan Demme and written by Diablo Cody, Streep plays "a rock ‘n’ roll-loving woman who chased her dreams at the cost of her family, but gets a chance to put things right." Kline will play Streep's ex-husband while Gummer is their confrontational daughter. [TheWrap]

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Amanda Seyfried to Star in 'Ted 2'; Mila Kunis Has Reduced Role

Uh oh, has Ted finally come between John and Lori's relationship for the last time? Seth MacFarlane has begun casting his sequel to Ted, hoping to capitalize on the vulgar R-rated flick's unexpected  $500M success. And while we know Mark Wahlberg will obviously be back to join his thunder buddy, he'll have to get used to a different female lead.

Deadline reports that Amanda Seyfried, who has a role in MacFarlane's comedy-western A Million Ways to Die in the West, will star in Ted 2 and not Mila Kunis. MacFarlane and his co-writers made a "creative decision" to reduce Kunis' role greatly, or possibly even remove her character entirely. The story stresses this wasn't due to a falling out between Kunis and MacFarlane, and that they remain good friends. Still, this is a move that will raise a few eyebrows.

Ted 2 is expected to hit theaters on June 26th 2015. 

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