Movies - Forgotten Island : A Heartbreaking and Magical Story of Friendship Takes Center Stage at Trailer Launch

By Mulder, California, Glendale, Dreamworks Animation LLC, 25 march 2026

There was something unmistakably sincere in the air during the official trailer launch of Forgotten Island on March 25, 2026, an event that quickly transcended the usual promotional beats to become a heartfelt celebration of memory, friendship, and cultural identity, carried by the palpable chemistry between directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, and their leading voices H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, all of whom revealed a project that feels less like a studio assignment and more like a deeply lived experience brought to the screen, rooted in decades of collaboration, personal loss, and a shared desire to tell a story that resonates across borders while remaining unapologetically specific in its Filipino heritage and emotional core.

From the very first moments of the discussion, it became clear that Forgotten Island is inseparable from the real-life friendship between Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, a bond that dates back to their early days working together at DreamWorks Animation, notably during productions like Kung Fu Panda 2, and which has now evolved into the creative backbone of this ambitious animated feature, with both filmmakers openly acknowledging that the film’s narrative centered on two inseparable friends facing the possibility of drifting apart directly mirrors their own experiences, with Joel Crawford describing Januel Mercado as someone who allowed him to feel “safe” creatively, a rare and invaluable dynamic in an industry often driven by pressure and deadlines, while Januel Mercado emphasized how working alongside a trusted friend transforms the filmmaking process into something almost liberating, where stress dissolves into shared passion and mutual understanding.

That emotional authenticity extends far beyond the filmmakers’ relationship and deeply into the film’s conception, particularly through Januel Mercado’s personal journey, as he revealed that the script took shape during an intensely emotional period in his life while caring for his father, who was battling pancreatic cancer, a reality that infused the project with a profound sense of urgency and tenderness, especially during a pivotal research trip to the Philippines undertaken with the creative team, which became not just a visual reference expedition but a deeply personal pilgrimage, allowing Januel Mercado to reconnect with his roots, his family, and ultimately his grief, transforming Forgotten Island into a cinematic tribute that celebrates memory as both fragile and essential, a theme that resonates throughout the narrative and elevates the film beyond its fantasy framework.

Set in the Philippines during the 1990s, the film smartly taps into a pre-digital era where distance carried a heavier emotional weight, a time when friendships were not sustained through instant communication but rather through shared physical moments and tangible memories, an idea that Joel Crawford highlighted as central to the film’s emotional stakes, where Polaroid snapshots and fleeting experiences become invaluable anchors of identity, reinforcing the story’s premise that memories are not just recollections but defining elements of who we are, a concept that gains even more narrative tension through the film’s central plot device: a fantastical island where memories slowly fade, forcing its protagonists to confront the terrifying possibility of losing not just each other, but the very essence of their shared past.

Narratively, Forgotten Island follows Jo and Raissa, voiced respectively by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, two lifelong friends on the brink of separation as Raissa prepares to leave the Philippines for the United States, a turning point that is abruptly disrupted when the pair stumble upon a mysterious portal leading to the mythical island of Nakali, a richly imagined world populated by creatures drawn directly from Filipino folklore, where allies and adversaries alike emerge, including the well-meaning but clumsy weredog Raww, voiced by Dave Franco, and the formidable Manananggal, brought to life by the iconic Lea Salonga, whose presence alone adds a layer of gravitas to the film’s mythological landscape, as Jo and Raissa embark on a race against time to escape the island before it erases the memories of their friendship entirely, a narrative hook that cleverly intertwines high-stakes fantasy with deeply human emotion.

What elevates the film even further is its commitment to authentic representation, something both H.E.R. and Liza Soberano spoke about with visible emotion during the event, particularly highlighting how rare it is to see Filipino culture portrayed with such prominence and care in a major DreamWorks production, with Liza Soberano recalling a moment in the trailer where the sun acts as a portal, a scene that moved her to imagine young audiences in the Philippines seeing themselves reflected on screen in a way that feels both empowering and long overdue, while H.E.R. emphasized that beyond representation, the film serves as a bridge for global audiences to connect with Filipino traditions and values, especially those centered around family and friendship, themes that remain universally relatable despite their cultural specificity.

Visually, Forgotten Island promises to push the boundaries of DreamWorks Animation’s established style, building on the innovative techniques seen in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, also directed by Joel Crawford, by incorporating painterly textures, anime-inspired action sequences, and cinematic flourishes such as wide-angle lenses and light leaks, all of which are not مجرد stylistic experiments but deliberate narrative tools designed to reflect the fluid and fragmented nature of memory itself, with Januel Mercado explaining that every visual choice serves a thematic purpose, effectively turning the film into a layered sensory experience where form and emotion are inseparable, reinforcing the idea that memories are not static but constantly reshaped by perspective and time.

Produced by DreamWorks Animation and overseen by producer Mark Swift, with editing by James Ryan and a score composed by Nathan Matthew David, Forgotten Island also boasts an impressive supporting cast that includes Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, and Ronny Chieng, reflecting a deliberate effort to bring together a diverse ensemble capable of authentically representing the film’s cultural landscape, while its development timeline—from its official announcement in April 2025 to its expanding cast through March 2026—underscores the studio’s confidence in the project as a major original property, a rarity in an industry increasingly dominated by sequels and established franchises.

Ultimately, what lingers most after the trailer launch is not just the film’s visual ambition or its mythological scope, but its sincerity, a quality that feels increasingly rare and which Joel Crawford perhaps summarized best when he described the film as being about the moments we share and how they stay with us, a simple yet profound statement that encapsulates the essence of Forgotten Island, positioning it as more than just an animated adventure, but as a poignant exploration of what it means to grow up, to hold on, and sometimes, to let go, all wrapped in a story that is as intimate as it is universal, and one that audiences will be able to experience when the film is released in theaters on September 25, 2026, by Universal Pictures in United States and October 21, 2026 in France.

Synopsis :
Jo and Raissa, best friends since elementary school, are about to embark on different paths after graduating from high school. While celebrating their last night together, the two girls stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, populated by magical creatures straight out of the Filipino mythological tales of their childhood. Together, the girls will ally themselves with some of these creatures, while facing off against others. With the help of Raww, a well-meaning yet hapless were-dog, as well as a group of young companions endowed with extraordinary powers, the two best friends will face the fearsome Manananggal, the most dreaded creature on the entire island. But when they discover that to find their way home, they’ll have to forget everything they’ve experienced together, Jo and Raissa will embark on a race against time to find a way off the island, before it devours the memories of their friendship forever.

Forgotten Island
Directed by Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado
Written by Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado
Produced by Mark Swift
Starring H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, Lea Salonga
Edited by James Ryan
Music by Nathan Matthew David
Production company : DreamWorks Animation
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release date : September 25, 2026 (United States), October 21, 2026 (France)
Running time : 98 minutes