‘Forrest Gump’ producer Wendy Finerman doesn’t think the film would make it into cinemas today because the makers wouldn’t be able to secure the necessary budget.
The 1994 comedy-drama is considered a Hollywood classic and went on to win six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director for Robert Zemeckis and Best Actor for Tom Hanks in the titular role, and in 2011 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
‘Forrest Gump’ banked over $677 million at the international box office but Finerman – who spent nine years pitching the movie before it was made – believes that it would be "very difficult" to get the $55 million budget required to make the movie now because studios only want to commit large sums to blockbusters and films that have brand recognition so there is a greater chance of return on investment and profit.
Speaking to Cinema Blend, she said: "I think ‘Forrest Gump’ getting made today would be very difficult. To look back and say ‘Forrest Gump’ would never get made today – we know that’s probably true.
"It probably would be very difficult to get made today. And was still very difficult to, obviously, get made many years ago."
The beloved film follows Tom Hanks’ Forrest through several decades of his life as he witnesses and unwittingly influences several defining historical events in the 20th century in the United States.
In light of the movie’s 25th anniversary this year, Fathom Events is bringing the movie – which is inspired by Winston Groom’s 1986 novel of the same name – back to cinemas in the US for a limited time and Finerman hopes the occasion will encourage a "whole new generation" to experience the film.
She said: "There’s nothing more rewarding than having a movie 25 years later, they’re still coming back with more stuff to put on the Blu-ray and they’re still coming back with more stuff to reopen the movie theatrically. So I try to really just look at the positive elements rather than the struggles that we had, and realise that a whole new generation gets to go hopefully see this movie and learn about this movie that they couldn’t have been done five years ago. A whole new generation gets to see this movie on big screens."
Forrest Gump producer doesn’t think movie would be made now
