HOLLYWOOD — DreamWorks Animation is set to bring Filipino culture and rich mythology to global audiences with the release of Forgotten Island, hitting theaters on September 25. Distributed by Universal Pictures, the film marks Hollywood’s first major full-length animated feature deeply rooted in Filipino folklore.
Billed as a dazzling and emotional story exploring the timeless message that true friendship is worth fighting for, Forgotten Island follows the lineage of DreamWorks’ most iconic duos—from the boy and dragon in How to Train Your Dragon, to the ogre and donkey in Shrek, and the robot and gosling in The Wild Robot.
The original film is helmed by the acclaimed filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, written and directed by Academy Award® nominees Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, and produced by Academy Award® nominee Mark Swift.
The film features a stacked, star-studded voice cast led by Grammy, Oscar and Academy Award®-winning Filipino artist Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson (aka H.E.R.) as Jo and Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein, Alone/Together) as Raissa.
Joining them are Tony Award winner Lea Salonga as "The Dreaded Manananggal", Dave Franco as Raww the weredog, Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Top Gun: Maverick), Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness), Jo Koy (Haunted Mansion), and Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, M3GAN).
Speaking on NBC’s TODAY Show, the lead stars expressed deep pride in bringing their heritage to a major global platform.
“I’ve always been so proud to be Filipino, but now we get to celebrate and show the world. It’s exciting times,” said H.E.R.
Soberano echoed the enthusiasm, highlighting the impact of seeing their heritage reflected in mainstream animation. “It brings us so much pride and joy to finally have something that represents our culture and makes us feel seen, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to be doing this and to be representing my country.”
The story centers on high school graduates Jo and Raissa, lifelong best friends since grade school who are standing at the crossroads of separate life paths. During their final night together, the duo accidentally stumbles upon a mysterious portal that transports them to Nakali—a fantastical island populated by the very magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing about from their Filipino families.
Joined by a well-meaning yet hapless weredog named Raww and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must navigate an unfamiliar world of newfound friends and dangerous foes. Their quest brings them face-to-face with the island's most feared creature, The Dreaded Manananggal. However, the stakes turn personal when they discover the ultimate cost to escape: the price of returning home is the complete erasure of their memories of each other. The pair must race against time to leave Nakali before their bond is lost forever.
Forgotten Island opens in theaters nationwide on September 25.
