12 Movie Sequels That Luckily Didn't Happen

Forrest Gump is another family favourite almost sullied by a weak and uninspired sequel. Whilst the first film was original, clever, fun and deeply affecting, the proposed follow-up Gump and Co reads like a cheap re-hash set in a different decade.

Set in the '80s, the film would have seen the Bubba Gump Shrimp company massively expand, with Forrest at the helm and unable to keep with the demands of his business. As he struggles with a new chapter, Forrest would come face to face with both Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, fight in the First Gulf War, witness the Iran-Contra Affair, see the New Coke marketing disaster, and play a vital role in Rudy Giuliani eventually becoming Mayor of New York.

Though it sounds relatively entertaining, it would never have captured the essence of the first outing and would have appeared forced and cliched. Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis sensed this, and refused to return for another film. Meanwhile, Winston Groom, who wrote the novel on which the original was based, got himself into a heated feud with Paramount Pictures about the direction of the proposed project.

Ultimately, then, with no one behind it, Gump and Co was shelved and so far Forrest Gump has been wisely left alone.