Forrest Gump Almost Got a Sequel Covering O.J. Simpson and Princess Diana

O.J. Simpson‘s Bronco chase? A dance with Princess Diana? There was a lot more in store had Forrest Gump’s story continued. 

That is, according to Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, who wrote the screenplay for the hit 1994 film. As he recently revealed to Yahoo!, he had penned a sequel script that featured Gump popping up at significant times and places of the 1990s, including in Simpson’s infamous getaway car, the white Ford Bronco, as well as a charity dance with the late Princess Diana. Apparently, Gump knew his way around a dance floor. 

As Roth explained to Yahoo!, Gump also meets a Native American woman and eventually finds his “calling” as a bingo caller on a reservation. 

However, it would not have been all fun and games for Gump. The film would have began with a focus on his son, who was born with AIDS, and how other students did not want to go to class with him. Tragedy would strike in the form of a building blowing up behind Gump, who was sitting and waiting to eat lunch with his Native American friend who worked at a nursery school at a government building in Oklahoma City. It would turn out to be the deadly 1995 Oklahoma City terrorist bombing. 

In real life, tragic timing kept the script away from the silver screen. In the interview with Yahoo!, Roth said he turned in the script the day before the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 

“When 9/11 occurred, I think we felt maybe everything we had written was meaningless,” he said. “Everything felt meaningless.”

When asked if the script will ever “see the light of day,” Roth was doubtful. 

“I would say not,” he answered. “I think it wouldn’t be our first choice and we thought this was pretty special and maybe it should just be left alone, but I tried.”