Tom Cruise is often said to be the last movie star in Hollywood who can put people on seats. After the gargantuan success of Top Gun 2 which grossed $1.4 billion at the global box-office, these words were proven true. Now, with the upcoming Mission Impossible 7, it’s probably about to be proven again.
Audiences trust the star because he guarantees them an entertaining time at the theaters, something that is increasingly becoming rare. However, once upon a time, Cruise was a bad omen for Warner Bros even though he had just delivered a gigantic hit for them.
How Tom Cruise Made Warner Bros Let Go Of Tom Hanks’ Hit Oscar-Winning Movie
Tom Hanks’ Forrest Gump is still a part of the zeitgeist. People quote lines from the film even now. The movie grossed $678 million on a $55 million budget. It also brought Paramount six golden statues at the 67th Academy Awards. The film won the Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing categories.
However, instead of Paramount getting to call Forrest Gump its own, it was Warner Bros. who almost got that honor. But they fumbled that deal badly. Originally, the rights and script of Forrest Gump were owned by Warner Bros. But they passed the film to Paramount because they felt that the feelgood movies about a savant man niche had reached their natural conclusion with the Tom Cruise film, Rain Man.
Rain Man had brought home $412 million on a $25 million budget. So it was a bonafide hit for them. WB was so secure in their decision that Forrest Gump wouldn’t be a hit that they traded it for a Paramount script that they wanted. It was called Executive Decision. WB even gave $400,000 to Paramount on top of the exchange. Ultimately, WB’s bet was wrong and they gave away a golden duck.
Tom Hanks Wasn’t Confident In Forrest Gump While Making It
The star of 1994’s Forrest Gump, Tom Hanks, wasn’t sure that anyone would even watch the film. His concerns are understandable. After all, it was wildly different than anything that was getting made at that time. The actor once said to director Robert Zemeckis:
“I say, ‘Hey Bob, I’ve got a question for you. Is anybody going to care about this movie? Are we doing anything here that is going to make any sense to anybody?’”
Zemeckis wasn’t sure as well. The director thought that they had to tread really carefully or they would get blown by the pressure. He said:
“It’s a minefield, Tom. It’s a g— minefield. We may be sowing the seeds of our own destruction. Any footstep we take can be a bouncing Betty that’ll blow our nuts right off.”
Thankfully, both of them kept on moving forward and Forrest Gump became the phenomenal hit that it is today.
Forrest Gump is available on Paramount+.
Source: Twitter
