Forgotten Island animated film is an original computer-animated comedy adventure produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures, marking the studio’s 51st feature film. Directed and written by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado—the creative team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish—the film arrives September 25, 2026 in the United States, with earlier releases in select regions on September 23-24, 2026, and in Brazil on September 24, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Forgotten Island animated film centers on two Philippine high school friends transported to a mythological island inspired by Filipino folklore.
- The film features an all-star voice cast including H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, and Lea Salonga, with a score by Nathan Matthew David.
- First trailer dropped around March 25, 2026, positioning the film as DreamWorks’ bold step into authentic Filipino cultural storytelling.
- Directors Crawford and Mercado previously collaborated on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, a critically acclaimed DreamWorks adventure.
- The core conflict forces the protagonists to sacrifice their shared memories to return home, grounding the adventure in genuine emotional stakes.
Why Forgotten Island Matters Right Now
Mainstream Hollywood rarely greenlit animated films centered on Filipino voices and mythology until now. DreamWorks’ decision to invest in Forgotten Island animated film represents a significant shift—one that Filipino American audiences have waited years to see. The industry’s track record with Filipino-led projects remains sparse, making this DreamWorks venture noteworthy not just as entertainment but as a cultural moment. The film’s March 2026 trailer posed a simple but powerful question: “What would you sacrifice to make it home?” That emotional hook, paired with vibrant animation of the mystical island Nakali, signals that DreamWorks is betting on substance alongside spectacle.
The Story: Friendship Against Mythological Odds
Forgotten Island animated film follows Jo and Raissa, lifelong best friends facing the painful reality of adult separation after high school graduation in the Philippines. Their lives take a surreal turn when they are transported to Nakali, a magical island populated by creatures drawn from Filipino mythology and folklore. There they encounter Raww, a weredog voiced by Dave Franco, and confront dark forces including the terrifying Manananggal, voiced by Lea Salonga. The emotional core emerges from an impossible choice: to return home, they must sacrifice their memories of each other and their friendship. This setup mirrors the emotional architecture that made Puss in Boots: The Last Wish resonate—adventure with genuine stakes, humor grounded in character relationships rather than cheap gags.
The film’s thematic foundation rests on friendship, memory, loss, and cultural identity. Rather than treating Filipino mythology as exotic window dressing, the filmmakers appear committed to authentic representation. One Filipino American reviewer expressed profound gratitude, noting: “I’m so incredibly grateful Dreamworks Animation has decided to believe in Forgotten Island… for a movie-lover who has waited his whole life to see the industry support a project like this, I simply could not be more grateful or elated.” That enthusiasm reflects years of underrepresentation finally meeting mainstream studio resources.
DreamWorks’ Proven Formula Meets Fresh Cultural Ground
Forgotten Island animated film arrives from the same creative team that delivered one of DreamWorks’ most acclaimed recent films. Crawford and Mercado’s work on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish demonstrated their ability to balance irreverent humor with genuine emotional weight—a formula that works. Puss in Boots proved that audiences embrace animated adventures that do not talk down to them, that weave comedy with real character development. The tagline for Forgotten Island—”Your best friendship is worth fighting for”—signals that DreamWorks is applying that same philosophy here. The studio’s signature visual style, combined with a story rooted in Filipino culture rather than recycled fairy tale IP, positions this as a genuine wild card in the animated film landscape.
Universal Pictures’ distribution muscle behind Forgotten Island animated film matters too. The studio has proven it can market animated films to global audiences, and a September release date puts the film in prime position for back-to-school family audiences and early awards season buzz. The film’s 2-minute 21-second trailer, released around March 25, 2026, generated significant anticipation by emphasizing the world-building and emotional stakes rather than relying on celebrity voice casting as the primary draw.
Where Forgotten Island Animated Film Could Stumble
The film’s success depends on whether mainstream audiences embrace a story centered on Filipino characters and mythology without requiring a recognizable franchise anchor. DreamWorks has built its recent success partly on sequels and established IP—Shrek, Madagascar, Kung Fu Panda. Forgotten Island animated film is original, which is both its greatest strength and its biggest risk. Audiences may need to be convinced that an unfamiliar story is worth their time, especially when the theatrical market remains crowded. The film must also avoid the trap of treating its cultural setting as mere aesthetic—audiences can detect tokenism instantly, and authenticity cannot be faked. That said, the creative team’s pedigree and the film’s emotional premise suggest DreamWorks understands what is at stake.
Will Forgotten Island Animated Film Deliver at the Box Office?
The September 25, 2026 release positions Forgotten Island animated film in a strong marketplace window. Fall is traditionally strong for family films, and the film arrives before the holiday blockbuster rush. DreamWorks has the brand recognition and distribution reach to ensure wide theatrical availability. Whether the film becomes a genuine box office phenomenon depends on word of mouth and critical reception—two factors no marketing budget can guarantee. What is clear is that Forgotten Island animated film represents a genuine gamble by a major studio on original storytelling and authentic cultural representation. In an industry that often plays it safe, that alone makes it worth watching.
What is the release date for Forgotten Island?
Forgotten Island animated film releases in the United States on September 25, 2026. Earlier releases occur in select regions on September 23-24, 2026, and in Brazil on September 24, 2026.
Who voices the main characters in Forgotten Island?
H.E.R. voices Jo and Liza Soberano voices Raissa, the two best friends at the film’s center. Dave Franco voices Raww, the weredog, and Lea Salonga voices the Manananggal, a dark force the characters confront. The cast also includes Manny Jacinto and Jenny Slate.
What is Forgotten Island animated film about?
Forgotten Island animated film follows two lifelong best friends from the Philippines who are transported to a mystical island inspired by Filipino mythology and folklore. To return home, they must sacrifice their memories of each other and their friendship, creating an emotional core grounded in loss and the value of connection.
Forgotten Island animated film arrives as a rare mainstream celebration of Filipino culture and voices in animation—a moment that matters beyond box office numbers. Whether it achieves blockbuster status depends on execution, but DreamWorks has already succeeded in making audiences care about a story that Hollywood typically ignores. That alone is worth the price of admission.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: Creativebloq
