Hollywood actor Tom Hanks is pleased that no sequel to the beloved 1994 film Forrest Gump was ever created. In a recent interview, Hanks reflected on why another Forrest Gump movie wasn’t necessary.
The original film told the story of Forrest Gump, a man from Alabama with a low IQ who experiences important moments in history from the 1950s through the 1970s. Hanks received an Academy Award for his portrayal of Forrest. Despite the movie’s huge success, Hanks said “Thank God we never bothered trying to make another one.” He added that some stories are best left as stand-alone works without a follow-up.
While talks about continuing Forrest’s story did occur, Hanks said those discussions lasted only around 40 minutes before the idea was shut down. The actor recalled telling others “we said, ‘Guys, come on.'” Hanks felt the original film worked perfectly on its own as “an extraordinary amalgam that stands completely on its own and never has to be repeated.”
Although there was no sequel film, author Winston Groom, who wrote the 1986 novel the movie was based on, did write a follow-up book called Gump & Co. in 1995 during the period of popularity from the movie.
Almost 30 years later, Hanks says the impact of the first film still resonates. He gets letters from families who watch it yearly. According to Hanks, “someone is watching that movie from beginning to end” around the world even today, finding it as comforting and familiar as when it was first released on home video in 1995.
Hanks’ comments came as he promoted his new project “Here,” which reunites him with Forrest Gump co-star Robin Wright and director Robert Zemeckis. While they’ve collaborated again, some classics are best enjoyed alone without a sequel.
