MOVIE NEWS – DreamWorks Animation is currently undergoing a striking transformation. After triumphing in theaters with the 2024 masterpiece The Wild Robot, the studio is once again preparing to surprise moviegoers with an emotional and fast-paced animated epic featuring a completely distinctive visual world. The first trailer for Forgotten Island is now available.

Following the overwhelming critical and audience success of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Oscar-nominated directing duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado are returning with a completely original and deeply personal production. Their film will not only bring spectacular adventures and the studio’s characteristic gentle humor to the screen, but will also introduce Filipino culture to the world of animation in a unique way.

The story follows two inseparable friends, Jo and Raissa, who are preparing to take different paths in life after finishing high school. During their final night together, however, they discover a mysterious portal that carries them to the magical island of Nakali. In this extraordinary place, the mythical creatures they heard about from their Filipino relatives during childhood come to life.

Returning home comes at a terrible price: under the laws of the island, the girls must sacrifice every shared memory they created during their friendship. They have to race against time to escape Nakali before they forget each other forever. During their journey, they are joined by a clumsy werehound named Raww, while also being forced to confront the island’s most terrifying monster, the dreaded Manananggal.

During a Variety panel discussion, the directors revealed that the film was inspired by their personal experiences and that they wanted it to honor the Filipino women who played defining roles in their families. To achieve the greatest possible authenticity, the crew carried out research in the Philippines and built the world of the story with the involvement of local animators.

Visually, Forgotten Island was conceived in the style of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, blending that distinctive appearance in places with the graphic design of the 1990s and Filipino visual art. One of the production’s unusual features is that during flashbacks, the film shifts into a classic 2D anime style, evoking cult series such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, depending on which character’s memories are being shown.

(Forgotten Island – release date: October 15, 2026.)

Source: UIP Dunafilm