Forgotten Island (2026): Release Date, Cast, Story, Filipino Mythology and Everything to Know
Forgotten Island is a 2026 animated fantasy adventure from DreamWorks Animation that combines an emotional story about lifelong friendship with a colorful world inspired by Filipino mythology and culture. Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado, the film follows two childhood best friends whose approaching separation becomes far more complicated when they are transported into a mysterious supernatural realm.
Featuring the voices of H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Lea Salonga, Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, and Ronny Chieng, Forgotten Island brings together an international cast for an original DreamWorks story rather than another sequel or adaptation.
At its center is a simple but powerful idea: what happens when preserving a friendship requires fighting against the possibility of forgetting it altogether?
Forgotten Island Movie Overview
| Movie Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Title | Forgotten Island |
| Release Year | 2026 |
| U.S. Release Date | September 25, 2026 |
| Genre | Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Family |
| Directors | Joel Crawford, Januel P. Mercado |
| Writers | Joel Crawford, Januel P. Mercado |
| Producer | Mark Swift |
| Studio | DreamWorks Animation |
| Distributor | Universal Pictures |
| Runtime | 109 minutes |
| Music | Nathan Matthew David |
| Main Voice Cast | H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Lea Salonga, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng |
| Language | English |
| Rating | PG |
What Is Forgotten Island About?
Forgotten Island revolves around Jo and Raissa, two young women who have been best friends since childhood.
Growing up together in the Philippines, they have accumulated years of shared experiences and memories. But after graduating from high school, the friends face a transition that neither can completely avoid. Their lives are beginning to move in different directions, with Raissa preparing for a future that could take her away from Jo.
Their final night together is supposed to be a celebration of everything they have shared.
Instead, it changes their lives.
Jo and Raissa discover a mysterious portal that transports them into Nakali, a fantastical island inhabited by creatures connected to the Filipino stories and legends they heard while growing up.
The strange environment initially turns their personal conflict into an extraordinary adventure. Yet Nakali has a dangerous quality that makes escaping increasingly urgent.
The longer they remain there, the more their memories are threatened.
Even worse, Jo and Raissa eventually discover that returning home may demand an unimaginable price: the memories of their friendship.
Forgotten Island Synopsis
The story begins during an important turning point in Jo and Raissa’s lives.
Although they have been inseparable for years, adulthood is approaching, and circumstances are threatening the stability of their relationship. Raissa is preparing to move forward with a new chapter while Jo struggles with the possibility that their friendship may never be the same again.
Their emotional uncertainty provides the foundation for the fantasy that follows.
After passing through a mysterious portal, the pair arrive on Nakali. Instead of an ordinary tropical island, they discover a supernatural world filled with magical landscapes and creatures inspired by Philippine mythology.
Some inhabitants of Nakali prove dangerous, while others become unexpected allies.
Among the friends they encounter is Raww, voiced by Dave Franco, a good-hearted but frequently hapless were-dog who joins their journey.
Standing among their greatest threats is the Dreaded Manananggal, voiced by Broadway legend Lea Salonga. The Manananggal originates from Philippine folklore and is traditionally portrayed as a frightening supernatural creature capable of separating its upper body from its lower half.
As Jo and Raissa travel deeper into Nakali, their adventure becomes inseparable from the emotional conflict that existed before they arrived.
They need to find their way home, but escape is tied directly to memory.
That transforms the central question from simply “How will they leave the island?” into something more personal: Who are Jo and Raissa without the memories that created their friendship?
Their journey through Nakali consequently becomes both a fantasy adventure and a test of whether relationships can survive change.
Filipino Mythology Gives Forgotten Island Its Identity
One of the most distinctive aspects of Forgotten Island is its extensive inspiration from Filipino folklore.
Rather than using mythology merely as background decoration, the movie builds the world of Nakali around stories and creatures connected to Philippine culture.
The Manananggal is perhaps the most recognizable example. It is one of the Philippines’ best-known supernatural figures and has appeared in generations of folklore, horror stories and popular entertainment.
Forgotten Island expands beyond a single creature, however, using Nakali as an imaginative meeting point between folklore, memory and contemporary animated fantasy.
This approach gives the movie a cultural identity that distinguishes it from more generalized fantasy worlds.
Filipino traditions, food, music, family relationships and recognizable cultural details also contribute to the atmosphere surrounding Jo and Raissa’s adventure.
The result is a fantasy world whose mythology has a clear connection to the characters themselves.
Friendship Is the Heart of Forgotten Island
Despite its supernatural creatures and large-scale adventure, Forgotten Island is fundamentally a movie about friendship and growing apart.
Jo and Raissa are facing a problem that exists outside fantasy: childhood relationships inevitably encounter change.
Graduation, relocation, adulthood and different ambitions can transform relationships that once seemed permanent.
The fantasy premise turns that familiar experience into something literal.
In ordinary life, memories can gradually fade as friends grow apart. On Nakali, losing those memories becomes an immediate supernatural danger.
That connection gives the film’s central concept additional emotional weight.
The characters are not simply trying to survive an island filled with monsters. They are fighting to preserve the experiences that made them important to each other.
H.E.R. and Liza Soberano Lead the Voice Cast
Grammy and Academy Award-winning musician H.E.R. voices Jo, while Filipino-American actress Liza Soberano voices Raissa.
Their characters provide the emotional center of the film, with the friendship between Jo and Raissa driving both the adventure and its larger themes.
Dave Franco voices Raww, the were-dog who accompanies the friends through Nakali.
Lea Salonga voices the Dreaded Manananggal, bringing one of Philippine mythology’s most famous creatures into the film’s central conflict.
The supporting voice cast includes Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy and Ronny Chieng, giving Forgotten Island an ensemble with strong connections to comedy, drama and Filipino representation in international entertainment.
Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado Direct Forgotten Island
Forgotten Island is written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado.
The filmmakers previously collaborated on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Crawford directing and Mercado serving as co-director.
That connection is notable because The Last Wish became known for combining stylized animation with surprisingly serious themes involving mortality, fear and personal transformation.
Forgotten Island similarly uses a family-oriented fantasy adventure to explore a more emotional subject.
This time, however, the central relationship is not romantic or familial. It is friendship.
Producer Mark Swift, who also worked on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, reunites with Crawford and Mercado for the project.
Forgotten Island’s Animation Style
Visually, Forgotten Island continues DreamWorks Animation’s movement toward more stylized imagery rather than pursuing straightforward photorealism.
Nakali provides the filmmakers with considerable freedom.
Its magical creatures, tropical landscapes and supernatural environments allow the animation to shift between comedy, fantasy and moments of genuine danger.
The production also incorporates hand-drawn 2D animation, with sequences created by the Philippines-based Snipple Animation Studios.
This combination of animation techniques helps reinforce the movie’s connection to Filipino artists and storytelling while giving certain sequences a visual identity distinct from conventional computer animation.
Music and Sound
The score for Forgotten Island is composed by Nathan Matthew David.
Music plays an important role in establishing both the fantasy of Nakali and the emotional relationship between Jo and Raissa. The film’s cultural setting also creates opportunities for musical elements to become part of its broader representation of Filipino life.
Sound design is equally significant in a world populated by mythological creatures.
From supernatural threats to the physical environments of Nakali, the audio landscape helps give the island a sense of unpredictability and scale.
Why Forgotten Island Stands Out Among 2026 Animated Movies
Forgotten Island arrives during an era when major animation studios frequently rely on established franchises.
DreamWorks itself possesses several recognizable properties, including Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon and The Bad Guys.
Forgotten Island takes a different route.
It introduces new protagonists, a new fantasy world and an original story while drawing inspiration from a mythology rarely explored on this scale by mainstream Hollywood animation.
That makes its cultural setting particularly important.
The film does not simply place Filipino characters inside a conventional fantasy template. Philippine folklore becomes a central part of the adventure itself.
At the same time, the emotional premise remains deliberately universal.
Audiences do not need prior knowledge of Filipino mythology to understand the fear of losing a close friend or watching an important relationship change.
That balance between cultural specificity and universal emotion is central to the movie’s identity.
Forgotten Island Release Date
Forgotten Island is scheduled for wide theatrical release in the United States on September 25, 2026, distributed by Universal Pictures.
Release timing can vary internationally. In Indonesia, the film has been classified for viewers aged 13 and above, with a listed theatrical date of October 2, 2026.
The movie runs for approximately 109 minutes, or one hour and 49 minutes.
Is Forgotten Island Suitable for Families?
Forgotten Island carries a PG rating in the United States.
The classification reflects elements including fantasy action, some violence, frightening imagery, thematic material, language and humor.
Parents of particularly young viewers should therefore be aware that the movie’s mythological creatures are not designed exclusively as cute comic characters. Some, particularly the Manananggal, originate from genuinely frightening folklore.
At the same time, the central themes of friendship, family, memory and growing up place the film firmly within DreamWorks’ tradition of animated adventures designed to work across age groups.
Forgotten Island and Filipino Representation
Forgotten Island represents an unusually prominent use of Filipino culture within a major American studio animated feature.
Its importance extends beyond the ethnicity of its protagonists.
The movie’s mythology, environments, cultural references and creative influences are closely tied to the Philippines, while Filipino and Filipino-American performers occupy significant roles throughout the voice cast.
The involvement of artists in the Philippines in the film’s 2D animation further strengthens that connection.
Rather than functioning simply as scenery, Filipino identity helps determine what the world looks like, what creatures inhabit it and why its mythology matters to Jo and Raissa.
What Makes the Story Different?
The most compelling idea behind Forgotten Island is arguably its treatment of memory.
Fantasy movies frequently ask characters to sacrifice something in exchange for freedom. Here, the sacrifice is deeply personal.
Jo and Raissa’s friendship exists partly because they remember growing up together.
Remove those memories and their shared identity becomes uncertain.
That concept gives the escape from Nakali an emotional cost that goes beyond defeating a villain or finding a magical doorway.
The characters must confront whether moving forward requires abandoning the past—or whether meaningful relationships can change without disappearing.
Final Thoughts
Forgotten Island combines DreamWorks Animation’s energetic adventure storytelling with Filipino mythology and a coming-of-age story centered on friendship.
Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado use the mysterious island of Nakali to transform the ordinary fear of growing apart into a literal fantasy conflict, while H.E.R. and Liza Soberano anchor the story as lifelong friends Jo and Raissa.
With its 109-minute runtime, ensemble voice cast, stylized animation and mythology-inspired setting, Forgotten Island has a distinctive identity within DreamWorks’ modern filmography.
More importantly, its central idea is easy to understand regardless of cultural background: friendships change as people grow older, but the memories created through those relationships remain an important part of who they become.
For Forgotten Island, that idea is not simply emotional subtext.
It is the entire adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions About Forgotten Island
When does Forgotten Island come out?
Forgotten Island is scheduled for theatrical release in the United States on September 25, 2026. Release dates vary by market, with Indonesia listing the film for October 2, 2026.
Who directed Forgotten Island?
The movie is written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado.
Who voices Jo in Forgotten Island?
H.E.R. provides the voice of Jo.
Who voices Raissa?
Liza Soberano voices Raissa, Jo’s lifelong best friend.
Who voices the Manananggal?
Lea Salonga voices the Dreaded Manananggal.
How long is Forgotten Island?
The movie has a runtime of approximately 109 minutes, or one hour and 49 minutes.
What is Nakali?
Nakali is the mysterious fantasy island where Jo and Raissa become trapped. It is populated by magical and mythological creatures inspired by stories from Filipino folklore.
Is Forgotten Island based on a book?
Forgotten Island is presented as an original DreamWorks Animation story, written by Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado rather than an adaptation of an existing novel.
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