Zemeckis and Hanks once feared Forrest Gump would fail

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  Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks once feared that Forrest Gump would fail to attract audiences.

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  Zemeckis said in a 2023 interview that they wondered whether they were “sowing the seeds of our own destruction.”

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  Zemeckis considered cutting scenes of Forrest sitting on a bench because he worried they would bore viewers.

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  Paramount refused to fund the film’s cross-country marathon scene because of its cost, so Hanks paid toward it in exchange for a larger share of profits.

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  The film went on to earn nearly $680 million worldwide and win six Oscars.

Who

Director Robert Zemeckis and actor Tom Hanks feared the film might fail.

What

They worried audiences might not respond to Forrest Gump, and some scenes nearly did not make the final film.

When

The film was released 32 years before the article’s publication. Zemeckis discussed the doubts in a 2023 interview.

Where

Not stated

Why

They questioned whether the story of an ordinary man recounting extraordinary events would appeal to audiences.

This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.