DreamWorks Animation just pulled back the curtain on its most personal project yet. The studio released the first trailer for “Forgotten Island,” an original animated film that plunges two best friends into a magical world built from Filipino mythology. With a voice cast led by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, this September release is already stirring powerful emotions online.
What ‘Forgotten Island’ Is All About
7 Set in the 1990s, H.E.R. and Liza Soberano voice Jo and Raissa, two best friends who, post high school, are about to go their separate ways. 6 The two come to a crossroads upon graduating high school: while the gregarious and artistic Jo plans to stay in the Philippines, the responsible and neurotic Raissa is going to move to the United States to attend college. 7 As they celebrate their last night together by eating junk food and singing karaoke, the pair stumble on a magical portal. That portal sends them straight into Nakali, a mystical island packed with creatures from Filipino folklore.
Here is where it gets heartbreaking. 3When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
The longer they stay, the more they lose. Every laugh, every inside joke, every tear they shared begins to fade.
DreamWorks Forgotten Island animated movie Filipino mythology trailer 2026
The Creative Team Behind the Magic
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That film was no small deal. 17Puss in Boots: The Last Wish received acclaim from critics and was a commercial success, grossing $484 million on a production budget of $90 to $110 million. 17It was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards, the Golden Globes, the Critics’ Choice Awards, and the British Academy Film Awards.
Crawford and Mercado are not just creative partners. They are real life best friends who built this story from their own bond. 31Crawford and Mercado have been friends for almost two decades, having been paired together in the same office at DreamWorks Animation as storyboard artists. 7The two first met while working on “Kung Fu Panda 2.”
15 Forgotten Island marks the third collaboration between Crawford and producer Mark Swift, who received Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for The Last Wish. 15 It also marks the directorial debut for Mercado.
Key Fact: 4Forgotten Island will be DreamWorks Animation’s 50th animated feature film.
A Star Studded Voice Cast Rooted in Filipino Pride
The casting choices here tell a story of their own. This is one of the most significant Filipino-led ensembles in Hollywood animation history.
Here is the full voice cast lineup:
| Character | Voice Actor | Known For |
|---|---|---|
| Jo | H.E.R. | Grammy and Oscar winning artist, “The Color Purple” |
| Raissa | Liza Soberano | “Lisa Frankenstein” |
| Raww (the weredog) | Dave Franco | “Now You See Me” |
| The Dreaded Manananggal | Lea Salonga | Broadway legend, Tony Award winner |
| Supporting roles | Jenny Slate | “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” |
| Supporting roles | Manny Jacinto | “The Good Place,” “The Acolyte” |
| Supporting roles | Dolly de Leon | BAFTA nominee, “Triangle of Sadness” |
| Supporting roles | Jo Koy | “Haunted Mansion” |
| Supporting roles | Ronny Chieng | “The Daily Show,” “Shang-Chi” |
| Supporting roles | Amielynn Abellera | Emerging talent |
7 “Forgotten Island” marks H.E.R.’s first foray into voice acting and animation. The Grammy and Oscar winner spoke about how personal this role is. She shared that she grew up hearing these very same folklore stories from her Filipino family. 11 Lea Salonga joins the cast in a surprising role as The Dreaded Manananggal. Unlike her iconic singing roles, this performance focuses on the Broadway legend’s formidable vocal range to portray her country’s most feared guardian.
Why Filipino Representation Matters in This Film
This is not just another animated movie. For millions of Filipino viewers around the world, “Forgotten Island” carries immense cultural weight.
29 Forgotten Island marks a major milestone for Filipino representation in global animation. While Filipino culture has long been rich with mythological stories and iconography, it’s rarely been explored at this scale in a mainstream animated feature.
Liza Soberano got emotional when she first saw the finished product. She shared her reaction at the trailer launch event held at the DreamWorks campus in Glendale, California. She talked about imagining Filipino children watching the film and feeling proud to see their culture on the big screen.
The trailer itself is packed with cultural touches:
- A magical Jeepney styled after the iconic Filipino public transport
- The sun symbol as a portal, inspired by the sun on the Philippine flag
- The Sarimanok, a mythical bird from Filipino folklore
- Classic creatures like the Manananggal, Aswang, and Nuno sa Punso
11 Following the release of the trailer on the Universal Pictures YouTube channel, the online response from the Filipino community has been overwhelmingly positive. “Seeing a Jeepney in a DreamWorks movie is something I never thought I’d see. Pinoy Pride is real!,” one YouTube commenter wrote.
A Bold Visual Style With ’90s Nostalgia
27 Visually, Forgotten Island leans into DreamWorks’ recent stylized animation approach, pairing sleek CG animation with a painterly aesthetic, although this time drenched in rich ’90s neon.
The directors revealed at the trailer event that they intentionally pushed the boundaries of how animation looks and feels. 7Crawford explained there are “ties to anime in terms of action or pushing character expressions.”
Setting the story in the 1990s was a deliberate creative choice. 30Crawford described it best: “So much of the ’90s, especially a story about friends growing apart, is the feeling like it’s going to be final. When a friend is going off to college, will you see them again? Will they forget you? You can’t just FaceTime.”
Polaroids play a big role in the film’s storytelling. 30Crawford noted that “Polaroids are a big part of this movie. For us, you think about a Polaroid pack and you’ve got 12 pictures and you’re going to be very specific how you use them.”
8 The trailer features the Simple Minds song “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” a perfect fit for this ’90s set story about holding on to the people who matter most. 6 Currently, “Forgotten Island” is the only original DreamWorks animated film officially announced. 6 In 2027, the studio will release “Cocomelon: The Movie,” as well as the sequel to the live action “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Shrek 5.”
In a world dominated by sequels, reboots, and franchise films, “Forgotten Island” feels like a breath of fresh air. It is an original story about something deeply universal: the fear of losing someone you love, not to distance, but to forgetting. When DreamWorks opens its heart like this, rooted in real culture and real friendship, magic happens. 10The film is scheduled to be released by Universal Pictures on September 25, 2026. Drop a comment below and share what you think of this trailer. Are you as excited as the rest of the internet? Let us know which Filipino folklore creature you are most hyped to see on the big screen.
