Paramount purchases rights to ''Gump & Co.''

Paramount, still profiting from Forrest Gump, has snapped up the rights to Winston Groom’s sequel for a rumored $4 million.

Gump &amp Co., which Pocket Books will publish next month, is ”about the further adventures of Forrest Gump and his son,” says a Pocket Books spokeswoman. It takes place ”in the high-rolling ’80s, and has Forrest bumping into people such as Ollie North and Ivan Boesky.” Actor Tom Hanks, however, has expressed no interest in Gump II.