Box Office Success: Forrest Gump was a massive blockbuster, earning over $678 million worldwide against a $55 million budget, making it the top-grossing film in North America in 1994.
Rejection of the Sequel: Author Winston Groom wrote a book sequel titled Gump & Co. in 1995. While a film script was drafted, Tom Hanks and director Robert Zemeckis ultimately decided not to make a second movie, feeling it wasn't necessary.
Running Without Pay: During production, the film went over budget. Tom Hanks and Robert Zemeckis gave up their upfront salaries in exchange for percentage points of the film's gross, which eventually earned Hanks an estimated $60 million.
The Bench Location: The famous bench where Forrest sits and tells his story was located in Chippewa Square in Savannah, Georgia. To prevent it from being damaged by weather or collectors, it was moved to the Telfair Museums in Savannah.
Ping-Pong Secret: In the scenes where Forrest plays table tennis at an elite level, there was no physical ball. The ping-pong ball was added using CGI during post-production to match the speed of Hanks's paddle swings.