When your script calls for "a burly Patrick Warburton type", who better to cast than, er, Patrick Warburton? Clearly the answer is "nobody", and lo and behold, Warburton has just joined the cast of Seth McFarlane's **Ted. We're calling shenanigans on this film.
Warburton is no stranger to McFarlane, having worked with him on Family Guy for years, where he plays the Grinch-vanquishing Joe Swanson. As an on-screen presence, he's still probably most recognisable as Elaine's idiot semi-regular on/off boyfriend David Puddey in Seinfeld, but readers may also recognise him as The Tick or from his role as a NASA bod in The Dish.
In Ted, he'll be playing the "sexually confused co-worker" of Mark Wahlberg's John, at their place of business, Enterprise Car Rentals. John has his own problems, in the form of the titular Ted, his beloved toy bear from childhood who came to life when John's wish was granted. Unfortunately for John Ted's a tactless slacker getting in the way of his relationship with girlfriend Mila Kunis.
McFarlane is voicing Ted, and he, Warburton, Wahlberg and Kunis will be joined by Giovanni Ribisi and Joel McHale. Shooting is underway at the moment, and the release is pencilled in for next summer.