Life really IS like a box of chocolates for Ripley’s as firm snaps up iconic Forrest Gump prop used by Tom Hanks for $25,000…. And it’s filled with sand not candy
- Ripley entertainment make winning bid for famed Forrest Gump (1994) prop
- Box of chocolates proves characteristically unpredictable, filled with sand
The famous prop box of chocolates which featured in the 1994 film Forrest Gump has been won at auction for $25,000.
Ripley’s, the entertainment company behind Guinness World Records attractions and the Louis Tussaud’s Wax Museums, made the winning bid for the prop, which was autographed by actor Tom Hanks, who won an Oscar for his leading performance.
The company may have been disappointed to find the box, bought for Valentine’s Day, was not filled with chocolates but sand, used to weigh it down in outdoor scenes.
Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump in the 1994 classic film, pictured here with a box of… sand
Holding company Ripley Entertainment is one of the largest amusement attraction companies in the world.
It has operated since 1918, rising to fame in the 1920s with the publishing of its ‘Believe It or Not!’ daily cartoon.
Associated ‘odditoriums’ have reportedly entertained 100mn guests since 1933, and Ripley’s attracts 15mn global visitors each year.
The company also recently bought a handwritten address book owner by former Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
Forrest Gump is a six-time Academy Award winning film which grossed a record $678mn in 1994, from a budget of $55mn.
It tells the story of a man named Forrest Gump, diagnosed with an IQ of 75 and a ‘spine as crooked as a question mark’ from a young age.
The movie follows Forrest through his extraordinary life, growing to become a top college footballing talent, meet presidents, serve in Vietnam, expose the Watergate scandal and build a shrimp-fishing company.
‘That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run’ (Forrest Gump, 1994)
The film won multiple awards including Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role, Best Director, Best Visual Effects, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing.
The line, ‘Momma always said life is like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re gonna get’ was ranked #40 on the American Film Institute’s ‘100 Years… 100 Movie Quotes’ list.
Nearly 30 years on, the movie still falls within the top 150 highest grossing films of all time.
The only other pre-millennium films to share this success are Titanic (1997), Jurassic Park (1993), Star Wars Episode I (1999), The Lion King (1994), Independence Day (1996), E.T. (1982) and Star Wars Episode IV (1977).
