Mar 8 2007 04:06 PM ET

Do we really want a (possibly Hanks-less) 'Forrest Gump' sequel?

Categories: Books, Deals, Film

Gump_lWorst idea… or worst idea ever? Cinema Blend is reporting that Forrest Gump producers Steve Tisch and Wendy Finerman are eager to bring back Winston Groom’s hapless chocolate-loving adventurer for a second film. They even have a script; Paramount reportedly hired original screenwriter Eric Roth to adapt Groom’s follow-up novel Gump & Co. in 2001 after the original grossed over $300 million at the box office in 1994, only to abandon the project after a dispute with Groom over royalties. Legal issues solved, Roth’s script — which picks up after the death of Jenny and the failure of the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. — is back in play.

But more importantly, is Tom Hanks? In the 13 years since the release of Gump, the two-time Oscar winner has cemented his position as Hollywood’s biggest star and is probably not interested in slipping back the ol’ buzzcut and blue-checkered shirt ensemble. But who knows? Maybe the forthcoming Charlie Wilson’s War star has a soft spot for the role, and besides, if Old Man Ford is willing to re-don his brown crushed fedora… If Hanks is not interested, however, I hope Paramount has enough sense to quash the project altogether, as well as any prequel ideas, a la Forrest: The Early Years.

But that’s just me. Would you be interested in seeing Forrest back on the big screen? If so, can anyone but Hanks pull off the role?

Comments (1-30) of 64 Add your comment

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  • Joel

    Bad idea.

  • furry_tom

    My favorite scene in “Forrest Gump 2: Even Gumper” is when he stumbles into a Bananarama video.

  • Heather

    *headdesk*

  • mark in nyc

    If Hanks is not around it is a horrible idea…unless they get Forrest Whitiker to play Forrest Gump. Now that is some casting!

  • furry_tom

    My favorite part of “Forrest Gump 2: The Chocolate War” is when he meets Richard Pryor at a party and sees him light himself on fire while freebasing cocaine.

  • Dave

    Worst Idea Ever is right. Forrest Gump is such a classic and one of my all-time favorite movies. Does that mean I want to see more Forrest? No! His story was told but another movie with him and new characters just wouldn’t feel right. No matter how much they tried, lightning rarely strikes twice. Hollywood needs to stop messing with the classics.

  • Lily

    No No No, terrible idea. The follow-up novel Gump & Co. was horrible. In the book, Forrest and Jenny never got together, he found out about Jenny’s death in a letter written by her mother, and little Forrest never lived with him, he was raised by his grand-mother. I wonder how they would switch all that up, since in the movie Jenny married Forrest, and he raised Little Forrest alone after her death.

  • Liza

    Nooooooo, that is my all-time favorite movie. The last thing we need is a crappy sequel, so that the studios can make money.

  • Chris

    Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. didn’t go out of business, silly people. You can still go eat there.
    I’m really not that stupid…

  • mike

    No. No.No. You guys put one of these posts out about once a month. Sequel to Gone With the Wind, Godfather 4, Step By Step: The Next Generation. Let a movie like this just stand on its own without watering it down.
    If there must be a Forerst Gump 2: Still Runnin, at least let Pulp Fiction 2 take the Oscar this time.

  • Karla

    Oy – In my little home of Monterey, there’s this horrendous theme restaurant called Bubba Gump’s, where you get all sorts of fried food while endless TVs play the movie over and over, and the wait staff comes to your table and yells Gump trivia questions at the top of their lungs because the restaurant is so noisy.
    In southern accents.
    There’s also a guy dressed like Gump, with the haircut and the suitcse and the choc, who wanders around the restaurant and gets photos taken with tourists.
    It’s jaw-droppingly strange – like a convention of SCA-ers or Trekkers who are completely not cool.
    And I wondered how in the world they could stay relevant (if that’s the word). Ah but now I know! If they’re not behind this sequel, they should be.
    And they got the actor for the part if that dag-blamed Hanks dawon’ waon’ iyut.

  • Vicky

    No. Just no.

  • Emma

    I know I’m in the minority, but Forrest Gump is one of my least favourite movies of all time. Needless to say, I won’t be spending money to see a sequel.

  • furry_tom

    My favorite part of “Forrest Gump 2: The Forrest for the Trees” is when he wanders onstage during Live Aid and ends up singing backup on Bohemian Rhapsody with Queen.

  • Bobby in Texas

    You can’t mess with the first one. A second just wouldn’t work. Not only no but HELL NO!

  • Joe C

    Regardless of Tom Hanks, the Forrest Gump sequel should NOT happen. THat was one of my fave movies from the 90’s; leave it alone!

  • Servo

    Now THAT would be retarded.

  • furry_tom

    My favorite part of “Forrest Gump 2: Gumption Junction” is when he meets Mikhail Gorbachev after the President of the Soviet Union has won the Nobel Peace Prize and he says “That’s a funny stain on your hea-ed.”

  • Nance

    The ending was perfect as it was. Do NOT ruin the movie with a sequel!

  • GeeMoney

    No sequel. Bad idea! Besides, NO ONE would see it if Tom Hanks weren’t in it anyway.

  • Charles

    I believe that the original was very close to the perfect movie. Funny, sad, depressing, uplifting and just about every emotion in-between. My family loves to watch it several times a year. Please don’t ruin those memories with a wretched sequel.
    That said, no Hanks? That would make about as much sense as remaking “Jaws” without a shark. Or casting Nemo instead…

  • Winona

    A Gump sequel? Please God, no. Why can’t Hollywood just leave well enough alone?!

  • Tony B. in So Cal

    A Gump sequel is a horrible idea. I hope Tom Hanks has the sense to reject the idea of this film and then hopefully the studio would can it. As the cover of the DVD says “Tom Hanks IS Forrest Gump,” so they can’t make a sequel without him and they shouldn’t make one at all.

  • sarah

    This is getting ridiculous…first Toy Story 3 possibly without Hanks, now Forrest Gump possibly without Hanks? They are RUINING all movies. The only sequel they should make to a Hanks-movie without Hanks is The DaVinci Code 2.

  • Karla

    Okay, I’ve changed my mind.
    If furry_tom writes the dad-gummed thang, ah’ll watch iyut!

  • Ed

    I’m sure Tom Hanks wants to do this movie but from the looks of it, he can’t compete with his former appearance.

  • slj

    Nope. Although if it were made, then we’d have another movie to add to the list of what movies make men cry.

  • Carlos

    OK, sure! While we’re at it, let’s go ahead and add another sequel to the Godfather series, remake Psycho for the second time, and do away with any integrity that American cinema has left.
    I say that filmmakers should not be allowed to produce ANY sequels for the next couple of decades so we can actually witness whether or not there are any original ideas left in Hollywood. For God’s sakes STOP IT!!

  • Lauren

    The first movie was a horrible bit of treacle to begin with, why make another?

  • furry_tom

    RE: If furry_tom writes the dad-gummed thang, ah’ll watch iyut!
    I would’ve lobbied for the job, but I see that I already screwed up. Forrest Gump ended in the year 1982 and Richard Pryor set himself on fire in 1980. It’s that kind of inattention to detail that would’ve ruined the flick. That, and my decision to write in Chuck Norris as Forrest’s estranged brother.

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