Fact Check

"Forrest Gump" Remake

Published Sept. 23, 2015

Claim:

FACT CHECK:   Is Jonah Hill set to star in a remake of the 1994 film Forrest Gump?

Claim:   Jonah Hill is set to star in a remake of the 1994 film Forrest Gump.

  FALSE

Example:   [Collected via Twitter, September 2015]

Origins:   On 21 September 2015, the entertainment web site The Portly Gazelle published an article reporting that actor/comedian Jonah Hill was set to star in a remake of the popular 1994 film Forrest Gump that originally starred Tom Hanks:

Paramount Pictures, one of the biggest players in Hollywood made a huge announcement this morning that will no doubt drive film fans into a frenzy — 21 years after its release, the epic romantic-comedy-drama Forrest Gump is getting a remake — and what’s more, the flick is starring none other than celebrated comedic actor Jonah Hill himself

In the press release, Paramount Pictures revealed that they had been planning a remake since 2009, but that they had not been able to find anyone who they thought could live up to Tom Hanks incredible performance in the original. This is what Robert Zemeckis, the director of the 1994 film as well as the upcoming remake, had to say:

"You know when you got a film as successful and as influential as Forrest Gump, there’s this unspoken rule in Hollywood that you’ve got to make a remake and relaunch the story for a new generation. I am not ashamed of this, it’s what we do in Hollywood and it’s a great opportunity to create a new exciting version. This project has been on the drawing board for almost 6 years and I was just about to give up on it until 2012 when I saw 21 Jump Strett in the cinemas and saw Hill’s energy and comedic fire, I knew I wanted him to be Forrest. 3 years later, we are well into production and are expecting a 2016 release. Working with Hill is a blessing and he is really nailing his role!”

There is no truth to the above-quoted story, however. The Portly Gazelle is a satirical site that does not publish factual news stories, as noted in their disclaimer

All stories on this site are satire and the opinions expressed do not belong to any real people.

While many readers are aware of popular satire sites such as The Onion or the National Report, new purveyors of fake news are continually popping up on the Internet. The Portly Gazette, for instance, was established in August 2015 and was likely unfamiliar to many of the readers who happened upon this fake story about a Forrest Gump remake.

Last updated:   23 September 2015

Originally published:   23 September 2015

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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