DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island, directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, arrives as a visually striking, 109-minute PG-rated adventure that blends Filipino folklore with the buddy-comedy mechanics of The Hangover. Released in September 2026, the film follows best friends Jo and Raissa as they journey through the mythical island of Nakali.
- Creative Pedigree: Co-directed by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford, the team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, continuing DreamWorks’ stylized visual evolution.
- Cultural Core: Features voice performances by H.E.R. as Jo and Liza Soberano as Raissa, anchoring a narrative deeply rooted in Filipino mythology and the aswang.
- Narrative Engine: A missing 24 hours forces the duo to retrace their steps across Nakali Island after an enchanted sand dollar triggers an unexpected portal.
Decoding Nakali Island and the Philippine Mythos
The narrative kicks off in the Philippines, tracing the lifelong bond between Josephine “Jo” Yuson, an orphaned tomboy raised by her grandmother Lola Fatima, and Raissa Molina, a studious model student preparing to attend CalTech in California. When an argument leads the pair to the beach for a final hurrah before Raissa’s departure, an enchanted sand dollar washes ashore. Activating a portal, it whisks them away to Nakali Island—a name derived from the Tagalog word nakalimutan, meaning forgotten.
Once on the island, the film shifts gears into an odyssey reminiscent of The Hangover. Awakening with a day’s worth of missing memories, Jo and Raissa team up with a weredog named Raww, voiced by Dave Franco, to piece together their night. Along the way, they encounter creatures drawn directly from Philippine folklore, most notably the shapeshifting, multi-faceted aswang.
Animation Style and Studio Trajectory
Following in the footsteps of critically acclaimed projects like The Last Wish, The Bad Guys, and The Wild Robot, DreamWorks continues its pivot away from traditional photorealism toward a painterly, highly expressive aesthetic. Reviewers note that Mercado, a Filipino-American creative from Stockton, California, took the lead in shaping the project’s candy-colored immersion into international animation traditions.
Despite the vibrant palette and comedic pacing, the film pushes its PG rating with uncanny imagery, including the grotesque manananggal—a bat-winged, demonic creature capable of separating at the waist. Voice performances by Grammy-winner H.E.R. and actress Liza Soberano lend emotional weight to the surreal environment, anchoring the core themes of adolescent transition and friendship under strain.
| Metric / Detail | Specification |
|---|---|
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Directors | Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado |
| Runtime | 109 minutes |
| MPAA Rating | PG (2026) |
| Lead Voice Cast | H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Lea Salonga |
Bridging Representation and Mainstream Appeal
While Forgotten Island functions as an uncompromised celebration of Pinoy culture—complete with celebratory graduation party tropes, karaoke, and nods to traditional spirits like the tree-dwelling Batibat voiced by Jenny Slate—the film is constructed to remain accessible to global audiences. Rather than leaning on exposition-heavy world-building, cultural touchstones are woven directly into the psychological dynamics of the two protagonists.
