Why Forrest Gump 2 never got made

Forrest Gump was no mere blockbuster. When this Tom Hanks film hit theaters, it became a pop culture phenomenon. It was the highest-grossing film of 1994, beating out the likes of The Lion King and True Lies. When it came time for awards season, Gump cleaned house. The film picked up six Academy Awards, including Oscars for its incredible visual effects, Tom Hanks' iconic performance, and Robert Zemeckis' directing. Most notably, the film beat out Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption to win Best Picture.

Sure, these days, Tarantino's Fiction is generally considered the superior film, but back in the early '90s, Forrest Gump was just unstoppable. And while the film certainly has its haters, its impact can still be felt to this day. After all, it gave us iconic lines such as "Stupid is as stupid does," and "Life is like a box of chocolates." All these years later, the movie holds spots on both the American Film Institute's and IMDb's lists of the greatest movies ever made. This film even inspired a real-life restaurant chain, for crying out loud.

So if the movie was so successful, why wasn't there a sequel? Other Oscar winners like The Godfather, Rocky, and The Silence of the Lambs got follow-ups. And Robert Zemeckis certainly isn't averse to doing sequels. Plus, Forrest makes it to the end of the movie in one piece, and he could totally go on new adventures. On top of all that, this wasn't just an award-winning film. It was a big-time crowd-pleaser, and part two would've definitely earned stacks of cash at the box office. So what kept a potential part two from ever hitting theaters? Well, stop eating those shrimp and grab your running shoes as we find out why Forrest Gump 2 never got made.