Forrest Gump was first released 25 years ago, with massive international success. Why then did money-hungry Hollywood never make a sequel?
In a recent interview with Yahoo News, Forrest Gump screenwriter Eric Roth shared secrets from the plot of the sequel we wanted but never got. The film was considered in the early 2000s, but was eventually scrapped due to a shift in the world at the time and the events of 9/11.
Screenwriter Eric Roth details the bizarre plot for the Forrest Gump sequel that never was, including Forrest riding in the back seat during OJ Simpson’s police chase.
The plot followed a similar vein to the original, having Forrest present at key moments in 90s history. This included Forrest riding in the back of OJ Simpson’s car during the police chase in 1994, rising to fame as a ballroom dancer after dancing with Princess Diana at a charity event, and referencing the 1995 Oklahoma bombing.
Roth also divulged Forrest’s previous love interest Jenny died of AIDS. Supposedly his son was also to have AIDS, with the movie exploring the hardships and conflicts this presented due to parents displeasure at their children going to school with a kid with AIDS.
According to Roth, he met with the star Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis two days after 9/11 (and one day after submitting his draft screenplay) to “commiserate about how life was in America and how tragic it was.” It was at this meeting when they agreed the film seemed meaningless after the recent events, with the reference to the Oklahoma bombing so shortly after such a tragic event being the final nail in the coffin.
Watch the full interview below:
