According to The Hollywood Reporter, Neeson is “in negotiations” to join MacFarlane, Charlize Theron and Amanda Seyfried in the comedy western film.

MacFarlane will star as a cowardly chicken farmer who gets dumped by his girlfriend, played by Seyfried, and looks to Theron’s character, a mysterious new woman in town, to teach him courage. Neeson would appear as the newcomer’s outlaw husband, who turns up unexpectedly and tests the farmer’s courage.

MacFarlane will also direct the film from a script he penned with his Ted co-writers Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild. Shooting is due to begin this May.

Meanwhile, MacFarlane has recently revealed that “everybody involved” wants to make Ted 2, though nothing is officially in the works yet. He has also expressed an interest in bringing Family Guy to the big screen, saying it’s “just a matter of when”.