Forrest Gumpis one of the most quintessential movie classics of the 1990s. The film continues to have a strong resonance with audiences today, some even calling itcheerfully nihilistic.Forrest Gumpwas one of the rare films that became both a box office sensation and an astounding critical success; in addition to becoming the highest-grossing film of 1994, it took home the Academy Award for Best Picture – where it controversially beat other classics, such asThe Shawshank RedemptionandPulp Fiction.Tom Hanks’ haplessly endearing performance as the most optimistic man on the planet proved that he could be both delightfully hilarious and completely heartbreaking at the same time. Given the somewhat melancholy ending of the film, many audiences hoped to see a day where Forrest would return to the big screen; strangely enough, he almost did.
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ScreenwriterEric RothadaptedForrest Gumpfrom a novel of the same name byWinston Groom, who went on to write a sequel to his original literary classic one year after the film became a smash hit.Gump & Co.continues Forrest’s adventures into the 1980s, where he becomes involved in historical events such as Ronald Reagan’s presidency, the collapse of the Berlin Wall, and the Persian Gulf War. Given how successful the first film was, it’s unsurprising that directorRobert Zemeckis,Hanks, and Roth at least had a conversation about adaptingGump & Co.as a feature film.
Both Hanks and Zemeckis were extremely active in the 1990s, and worked on several acclaimed projects that prevented them from returning to the idea ofGump & Co.Although Roth began working on an outline for a sequel and completed adraft towards the end of 2001, the script was placed in development hell after a national tragedy forced the creative team to rethink their intentions.Gump & Co.would have undoubtedly been a fascinating experiment if it had actually happened; how do you create a follow up to a film that is so widely acknowledged as being perfect?
What Is ‘Gump & Co.’ About?
Forrest Gumpfans remember that the first film ends in the beginning of the 1980s, where, in one offilm history’s most emotional moments, Forrest learns that Jenny (Robin Wright) is pregnant with his child, who she names Forrest Jr. (Haley Joel Osment). Forrest agrees to take his son to his first day of school, and attempts to pass on the knowledge that he has learned from all of his adventures. This is a slight change from the original novel, which did not include Jenny’s death.Gump & Co.picks up in the middle of the 1980s, where Forrest and Lieutenant Dan (Gary Senise) are unable to keep up with the demands of the shrimp market.
After their business collapses and Forrest is briefly recruited (and then kicked off) the New Orleans Saints, Forrest decides to start a new venture that will help support his son as he matures. Given that Forrest’s plans usually end in disaster, he inadvertently invents the disastrous “New Coke” before stumbling his way back to Washington D.C., where he is reunited with Dan. Unfortunately, his old friend has now become blind, and Forrest decides to return to military service to support his loyal lieutenant. Once again, this goes awry, as Forrest briefly meets with President Reagan before being set up as the “fall guy” for the Iran-Contra Affair; he’s promptly jailed as the other conspirators walk away free.
The novel continues to go into even more bizarre territory when Forrest ends up meeting the real Tom Hanks (who doesn’t impress him), and receives a visit from Jenny’s ghost. Although the novel details Forrest’s later encounters with both President George Bush and President Bill Clinton, the majority of the story focuses on hsi difficult relationship with an adolescent Forrest Jr., who had become a rebellious alcoholic like his mother. Forrest is able to set his son straight, and Jenny’s ghost gives him her blessing to marry Gretchen, a German girl who he had fallen in love with overseas. This ironically leaves the story in 1994, allowing Forrest and Gretchen to go see theForrest Gumpmovie on the big screen.
Eric Roth’s Ideas for ‘Forrest Gump 2’
While it was unclear if the tongue-in-cheek meta references fromGump & Co.would have been part of his script,Roth intended to follow a similar structureto the first film, with Forrest becoming involved in some major historical events. Roth even mentioned that in his script, Forrest would have been in the back of O.J. Simpson’s Bronco during the infamous 1994 car chase, and that he would dance with Princess Diana at a charity ball.
Gump & Co.would have gone in some darker directions as well; many film fans assumed that based on the ending of the first film, Jenny had been diagnosed with AIDS before her death. This is dealt with directly in the sequel, as Forrest realizes that his son has the same illness, which causes problems when they bus him to school in Florida. Forrest also befriends a Native American woman who invites him to play bingo with her; unfortunately, Forrest shows up to find that she was playing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, which was bombed in 1995.
Why ‘Forrest Gump 2’ Was Canceled
AlthoughGroom had given Zemeckis, Hanks, and Roth his blessing to make a sequel, the three original collaborators felt that a sequel toForrest Gumpwouldn’t feel respectful in the wake of 9/11. Roth had turned in a draft on June 17, 2025, but met up with Hanks and Zemeckis the next day to “commiserate about how life was in America and how tragic it was.” Roth noted that we looked at each other and said, ‘this movie has no meaning anymore, in that sense.’”
Tom Hanks had been resistant towards the project initially, and said that his conversations about the possibility of another film lasted less than an hour.Hanks has proudly statedthat he’s never signed a contract that requires him to reprise his role in a sequel, and that “we did take a stab at talking about anotherForrest Gumpthat lasted all of 40 minutes.” WhileCinema Blend reported in 2007 that Paramount Pictures had taken another look at the script, there hasn’t been any further updates since.
Forrest Gumpremains a timeless classic that has enjoyed success as it’s passed down between generations; thefilm performed well during its theatrical re-releasefor its 20th anniversary, and it continues to be a story that people return to in the wake of national tragedies. Perhaps it’s best that there was never a misguided sequel that could have tarnishedForrest Gump’s pristine reputation.
