Barry Sonnenfeld was originally set to direct FORREST GUMP, but dropped out to direct ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES

Before Roberto Zemeckis was attached to direct the classic 1994 film, Forrest Gumpdirector Barry Sonnenfeld was originally assigned to helm! Sonnenfeld is the director of films such as Men in black And The Addams familyand ended up walking away from the project so he could direct The Addams Family Values.

The two films couldn’t be more different from each other, and Forrest Gump it would have given Sonnenfeld something different to play with. But in the end he decided to stay with the Addams Family fRanch. In an interview last year, Sonnenfeld explained how he ended up hooking up with Forrest Gump and why he ultimately didn’t stay faithful.

When it comes to how Forrest Gump initially came to him, he explained to Variety:

“[Producer] Gary Lucchesi sent me this book called Forrest Gump and he told me to read it and tell me we have to because “I have eight scripts and they’re all terrible.” I said, “Let’s change the main character from a big fat guy who’s a really great running back to a skinny guy who runs all the time and I’m going to send that to Hanks because I shot ‘Big’ with him.” I said, “You probably don’t want to do that because it’s similar to ‘Big’ in that it’s another kind of man-child thing.” Hanks loved it. He signed, I was hired to direct it.”

Sonnenfeld was shooting the Michael J. Fox movie For Love or Money when he learned that Paramount Pictures was moving forward with an Addams Family sequel. He had already signed with Forrest Gump, but was torn on what he should do. So, he asked Michael J. Fox for advice. He explained:

“[A] year and a half [after the first film], Paramount decides to make Addams Family Values, so I had to choose between staying with Forrest Gump or going back to the first thing I ever directed. I was working…with Michael J. Fox, and I said, ‘what am I supposed to do?’ Michael said, “You set the table with the Addams family, now you have to go to dinner.” I enjoyed directing Addams Family Values. Christina Ricci and Christine Baranski, Peter MacNicol and Joan Cusack are particularly funny in that film.

Hence, Sonnenfeld ultimately chose to direct The Addams Family Values, which turned out to be a great sequel! When asked if he regretted refusing Forrest GumpHe said:

“It took a long time to make peace with that. For a long time I could not see it, I just could not see it. Then I was at a Christmas party at Danny DeVito’s house and… [Midnight Run director] Marty Brest was there and Marty kept getting fired from shows before they were successful or quitting right before they went into production. I thought Marty knew about this thing that happened. I went up to him and he looked at the time like a rabbi and in a rabbinical way he said, ‘Have you seen the movie?’ I said, ‘no I can’t.’ He said, ‘watch the movie. Only then can healing begin.’ So I rented it. It wasn’t the film I was going to make. Maybe mine would have been worse. Maybe that would have been better. It certainly would have been shorter. But then I felt clear. I was fine after. So I owe Marty a debt of thanks.

Would you have liked to see Barry Sonnenfeld direct Forrest Gump? Do you think he would have made a better or worse version of the film?

Via: /film