'Forrest Gump' at 20: What would he witness today?

Forrest Gump, the simple man with the low IQ and tremendous heart, made movie magic as personified by Tom Hanks 20 years ago.

Forrest Gump took $677 million in global box office after its 1994 opening and earned six Oscars — including best picture, best actor for Hanks and best director for Robert Zemeckis.

But Gump's biggest contribution to film history might be its beloved main character's accidental seat at world history's table. He meets presidents John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson. He inspires Elvis Presley and John Lennon.

"Forrest Gump inserted himself into the timeline of world history," says author Winston Groom, whose 1986 novel was the film's basis. "That has seeped into the American lexicon."

Gump returns for its 20th anniversary in a digitally remastered version to IMAX theaters — the first time in the format — for a week starting today (and on home digital Sept. 16). The character brings his true love Jenny (Robin Wright), his Vietnam war leader Lt. Dan (Gary Sinise) and his shrimp-boating inspiration Bubba Gump (Mykelti Williamson).

To celebrate, we asked those involved with the film to imagine where in history they'd bring Forrest Gump if a new movie were made today.

Tom Hanks (Forrest Gump)

"All the political figures would be too obvious, so Forrest would have chatted up both Mark Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins about how it would be nice if you had a book that would show a person's face and make a friend.

"Forrest would have been in New Orleans for (2005 hurricane) Katrina where his own common sense would have saved him and others. Momma would have told him to go high when the waters rise. Bubba would have taught him about boats and Lt. Dan would come and find him."

Robert Zemeckis (director):

"Forrest would be the reason that the Navy SEALs find Osama bin Laden. He opens a children's orphanage in Jenny's name in Pakistan. And this orphanage happens to be across from this compound where Osama bin Laden is. Forrest and this tall guy pace around this compound together. And Forrest calls him in to the CIA."

Eric Roth (screenwriter)

In the script for the proposed sequel "We had him meeting O.J. Simpson. And there were a number of historical events like the Oklahoma City bombing. We had him meeting Princess Diana in keeping with the serendipity of his life. We had him dancing with her, not in a romantic kind of way. He becomes a well-known ballroom dancer and they dance together. It was quite beautiful, really."

Winston Groom (author)

"While there is, of course, a great temptation to have Forrest meet President Obama, it would be more interesting to have him meet Vladimir Putin.'' The Russian leader "seems to be the only one doing anything exciting these days. Maybe next he'll attack Finland. Forrest, after all, is a man of action and would want to be in on something big."

Gary Sinise (Lt. Dan)

"I'd want Forrest to meet Tom Hanks. He could pop up in the Cast Away movie, just come up behind a palm tree. He could play volleyball with Tom Hanks. Maybe Forrest Gump was a fellow FedEx employee."