DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island is now playing in cinemas, bringing Filipino mythology and a story about friendship, memory and identity to a global family audience.
The film follows lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa after they are pulled through a portal into Nakali, a magical island shaped by stories from their heritage. Their way home comes with a painful price: returning could cost them the memories that define their friendship.
What Forgotten Island is about
At its centre, Forgotten Island uses a fantasy adventure to ask a grounded question: what would a person give up to return to the life they know? The magical setting supplies creatures, danger and visual spectacle, while the memory bargain gives the journey emotional stakes.
That structure can work for different age groups. Younger viewers can follow the quest and characters; older audiences can read the island as a story about migration, cultural distance and the pieces of identity people carry between generations.
DreamWorks' official description emphasizes that Jo and Raissa have been close since childhood. Making the relationship the starting point means the film's central conflict is not only defeating an external threat. It is deciding what their bond is worth when the cost becomes personal.
The cast and creative team
Grammy and Academy Award-winning artist H.E.R. voices Jo, while Liza Soberano voices Raissa. The announced ensemble also includes Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng and Lea Salonga.
That cast brings Filipino and Filipino-diaspora talent into prominent roles rather than treating cultural influence as background decoration. Familiar voices may help the film reach audiences who do not usually follow animation news, while the story's specificity gives it an identity beyond a standard portal fantasy.
Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado wrote and directed the film, with Mark Swift producing. Crawford, Mercado and Swift previously worked within DreamWorks' animation pipeline, which gives the project experienced leadership even as it explores a setting new to the studio's feature slate.
Why cultural specificity matters
Global animation often succeeds when it stops trying to feel universally generic. Audiences can connect with unfamiliar folklore when the characters, emotions and rules of the world are presented clearly.
For Filipino viewers, representation can carry an additional layer. Names, family dynamics, creatures, music and visual motifs may feel recognizable in ways that major Hollywood animation has historically offered only occasionally. For viewers elsewhere, those same details can make the world feel fresh rather than inaccessible.
The creative responsibility is significant. Folklore is not a collection of interchangeable fantasy assets; it comes from living cultures with regional variations and personal meaning. The most durable response to the film will depend on how thoughtfully those influences are integrated into the characters and story.
Release timing and theatrical prospects
Forgotten Island opened on September 25. The theatrical release gives DreamWorks a chance to build word of mouth among families, animation fans and Filipino communities across multiple markets.
Its commercial path will be shaped by competition, reviews and how strongly the studio supports international marketing. Animated films can travel well because visual storytelling crosses language barriers, but local dubbing, release dates and cultural promotion still matter.
The film also arrives when Hollywood studios are looking for original franchises. Sequels remain commercially attractive, yet a new world offers longer-term value if audiences connect with its characters. Forgotten Island's mythology gives DreamWorks room for future stories without guaranteeing that expansion before the first film proves itself.
What viewers should know before watching
The official premise suggests a family adventure with emotional themes rather than a simple comedy. Parents may want to expect moments involving danger, separation and threatened memories alongside the colourful fantasy.
Viewers do not need prior knowledge of Filipino folklore to follow the story. At the same time, people familiar with the cultural references may notice details that add another level to the experience.
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Forgotten Island's strongest hook is not that it represents every Filipino story. No single film can do that. Its opportunity is to tell one emotionally clear adventure with enough cultural confidence to open the door for more.
Story, cast and release details come from the official DreamWorks Forgotten Island page. The thumbnail is the studio's official film artwork, not a fan-made or AI-generated editorial image.
Frequently asked questions
When was Forgotten Island released?
The film opened in cinemas on September 25, 2026.
Who voices the main characters?
H.E.R. voices Jo and Liza Soberano voices Raissa.
Is Forgotten Island based on Filipino folklore?
Yes. DreamWorks describes Nakali and the film's adventure as inspired by Filipino mythology and heritage.
