DreamWorks Animation has released a new promotional snippet for its upcoming feature film, Forgotten Island, offering a closer look at the central conflict driving the narrative. The preview highlights the high-stakes ultimatum faced by the story's two main characters, who discover that their sole means of escaping a mystical realm involves completely erasing their memories of one another.
Scheduled for a broad theatrical debut later this month, the project represents a major milestone for the studio as its 50th animated feature film. The narrative follows two lifelong best friends, Jo and Raissa, who find themselves abruptly separated from their normal lives and marooned on Nakali, a fantastical island deeply rooted in Philippine folklore and mythology.
The Price of Escape
The latest footage reinforces the psychological tension underpinning what initially presents itself as a vibrant animated adventure. In the film, Nakali functions as a hazardous paradise where an entity feeds on the memories of those trapped within its borders. As time progresses, the island begins to erode the characters' pasts.
The primary conflict arises when Jo and Raissa learn that the portal allowing them to return home demands a severe toll: the permanent forfeiture of their shared lifetime of friendship. The discovery triggers a race against time, forcing the protagonists to navigate the landscape to seek an alternative route back to reality before their mutual history is entirely wiped out.
Creative Team and Cultural Foundations
DreamWorks Animation has entrusted the project to the creative pairing of Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, who previously collaborated on the critically acclaimed box-office hit Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Januel Mercado makes his solo directorial debut alongside Joel Crawford, building a world heavily informed by his own Filipino-American heritage and the filmmakers' personal friendship.
The production serves as Hollywood's first major animated feature centered squarely on the folklore of the Philippines. The island of Nakali is populated by notable figures from traditional Pinoy mythology, including the shape-shifting manananggal, the kapre, and the tikbalang. According to early production reports, the directors balanced these traditional elements with a broad, fast-paced comedy framework designed to make the distinct cultural setting universally accessible.
Cast and Musical Landscape
The production features a predominantly Filipino and Filipino-American voice cast. Grammy-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R. voices Jo, a free-spirited character, while popular actress Liza Soberano provides the voice for Raissa, her scientifically-minded counterpart.
The ensemble cast includes:
- Lea Salonga as The Dreaded Manananggal, the primary antagonist of the island.
- Dave Franco as Raww, a well-meaning but clumsy weredog who assists the duo.
- Dolly de Leon as Lola Fatima, Jo's grandmother whose stories first introduced the girls to the legends.
- Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, and Ronny Chieng in supporting comedic roles.
The auditory landscape relies on a score by Nathan Matthew David alongside a soundtrack curated to capture a nostalgic, late-1980s to early-1990s aesthetic. The film features licensed period tracks alongside contributions from contemporary music icons, including the global P-pop phenomena SB19 and BINI.
Release Timeline and Expectations
The promotional push comes as DreamWorks Forgotten Island heads toward its global rollout. Universal Pictures is handling distribution, with the film scheduled to open in Australian theaters on September 17, followed by its domestic North American release on September 25, 2026.
Early response from industry screenings has generated notable momentum. A work-in-progress cut of the movie reportedly earned a prolonged five-minute standing ovation at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival earlier this year, with initial critical reviews praising the project's visual style, kinetic action sequences, and emotional core.
New clip from DreamWorks' ‘FORGOTTEN ISLAND’.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) September 16, 2026
The film follows 2 best friends trapped in a mystical world but their only way of escape is to erase all their memories of each other.
In theaters on September 25. pic.twitter.com/EagsTW1hHy
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