(WXIN) – From Forrest to Ripley, an iconic box of chocolates has a new owner.
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! purchased the box of chocolates from the 1994 film “Forrest Gump” for $25,000 at auction, the company announced in a release.
As Tom Hanks famously uttered in the Academy Award-winning film, “My momma always said, ‘Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.'” In this case, Ripley’s knows exactly what it’s gonna get. And it’s not chocolate.
Instead, the box is filled with sand.
“This was so Hanks could keep it on his lap properly during filming. Marked 23 ounces, the sand-filled prop actually weighs in at over four pounds,” Ripley’s explained.
The box is signed by Hanks and appears to be in near pristine condition.
In the film, Forrest Gump holds the box (and eats quite a few of the chocolates) as he tells the story of his life while waiting on the bus to reunite with his childhood sweetheart, Jenny.
Ripley’s has not indicated which of its 29 museums will house the prop. The museums, which are known as “odditoriums,” are all over the world and house collections of unique artifacts, pop culture memorabilia and medical oddities.
Some of Ripley’s other recent acquisitions include the double-sided Lightsaber used by Darth Maul in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” and Prince’s signature purple coat worn during the “Purple Rain” stage performances.
