Universal Pictures has officially released the debut trailer for Forgotten Island, a high-concept animated feature from DreamWorks Animation that explores the intersection of lifelong friendship, cultural heritage, and the supernatural. Directed by the acclaimed duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the film is scheduled for a wide theatrical release on September 25, 2026. This original production marks a significant creative milestone for the studio, reuniting the core leadership team behind the 2022 critical and commercial hit Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
The narrative centers on Jo and Raissa, voiced by Academy and Grammy Award winner H.E.R. and internationally recognized actress Liza Soberano, respectively. The protagonists are high school graduates standing at a crossroads in their lives. Having been inseparable since grade school, the duo faces the inevitable separation that comes with adulthood and diverging career paths. However, their transition into the next chapter of their lives is interrupted when they discover a hidden portal during their final night together. This gateway transports them to Nakali, a fantastical realm populated by figures from Filipino mythology—creatures they had previously only known through the oral traditions of their families.
The Creative Vision and Production Pedigree
The appointment of Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado as co-directors and writers signals Universal’s continued confidence in the "stylized" animation movement. Under their direction, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature and was lauded for its "painterly" aesthetic, which moved away from the traditional photorealism of early 2000s CGI. Early footage from Forgotten Island suggests a continuation of this artistic evolution, utilizing a vibrant color palette and what industry analysts describe as "mind-bending" visual sequences that intensify as the characters delve deeper into the magical island of Nakali.
The production is overseen by Mark Swift, a veteran DreamWorks producer whose credits include The Croods: A New Age and Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. The collaboration between Crawford and Mercado has historically yielded films that balance slapstick humor with profound emotional themes, such as mortality and the fear of the unknown. In Forgotten Island, the central conflict is not merely physical survival but the preservation of memory. The plot reveals that the price for returning to the human world is the erasure of the protagonists’ shared history. This thematic weight elevates the film from a standard "portal fantasy" to a poignant meditation on the value of human connection.
Cultural Representation and Filipino Mythology
A cornerstone of Forgotten Island is its deep integration of Filipino culture and folklore. By setting the adventure in Nakali, a world teeming with mythological entities, DreamWorks is tapping into a rich well of Southeast Asian storytelling that has historically been underrepresented in mainstream Western animation.
The film’s primary antagonist is the Dreaded Manananggal, voiced by Tony Award-winning icon Lea Salonga. In traditional Filipino folklore, the Manananggal is a vampire-like creature capable of severing its upper torso and sprouting massive bat-like wings to prey on the unsuspecting. The inclusion of such a specific cultural figure, alongside supporting characters like the "weredog" Raww (voiced by Dave Franco), indicates a commitment to authentic world-building.
The casting choices further reinforce this cultural focus. H.E.R. (Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson) and Liza Soberano both bring significant personal connections to the Filipino-American and Filipino experience, respectively. The supporting voice cast is equally robust, featuring Dolly de Leon, who gained international acclaim for Triangle of Sadness; Manny Jacinto, known for his roles in The Good Place and The Acolyte; and comedians Jo Koy and Ronny Chieng. This ensemble represents a strategic effort by Universal to appeal to both domestic North American audiences and the rapidly growing Southeast Asian market.
Technical Innovations in Animation
The trailer for Forgotten Island highlights a shift in animation techniques that has become a hallmark of DreamWorks’ recent output. The first half of the trailer maintains a grounded, contemporary aesthetic, reflecting the urban reality of Jo and Raissa’s lives. However, once the characters enter Nakali, the animation transitions into a more abstract, fluid style.
Industry experts note that this "stylized" approach—often referred to as "2.5D"—allows for more expressive character movements and environments that feel like moving illustrations. This technique was popularized by films like Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and was further refined by Crawford and Mercado in their previous work. By employing these techniques in Forgotten Island, DreamWorks aims to differentiate its brand from the more uniform aesthetic of competitors like Pixar or Illumination.
The use of color is also a critical storytelling tool in the film. Nakali is rendered in bioluminescent purples, deep teals, and fiery oranges, contrasting with the muted, realistic tones of the "real world." This visual dichotomy serves to underscore the characters’ disorientation and the seductive yet dangerous nature of the magical realm.
Market Positioning and Release Strategy
Universal Pictures has scheduled Forgotten Island for a late September release, a window that has historically served as a strong launching pad for animated features heading into the fourth quarter. The September 25, 2026, date positions the film as a primary family offering before the influx of holiday blockbusters in November and December.
This release strategy follows a pattern of success for DreamWorks Animation. By avoiding the crowded mid-summer season, the studio can allow Forgotten Island to benefit from "long-tail" box office performance, driven by word-of-mouth and critical reception. Furthermore, the film’s dual focus on high-stakes adventure and emotional depth makes it attractive to both younger children and the "young adult" demographic, which has increasingly shown interest in sophisticated animated storytelling.
The inclusion of H.E.R. also suggests a strong musical component to the film. As an Academy Award-winning songwriter, it is anticipated that she will contribute original tracks to the soundtrack, providing Universal’s marketing team with additional leverage across music streaming platforms and radio.
Chronology of Development
The development of Forgotten Island reportedly began shortly after the release of The Croods: A New Age in 2020. Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado began conceptualizing an original story that could incorporate Mercado’s Filipino heritage with the studio’s desire for a "best-friend-centric" narrative.
- 2021-2022: The screenplay was finalized during the production of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
- 2023: Voice recording sessions began, with H.E.R. and Liza Soberano joining the project in late 2023.
- 2024-2025: Animation production was in full swing at DreamWorks’ Glendale campus, utilizing new software pipelines designed to handle the film’s complex visual transitions.
- March 25, 2026: The first teaser trailer and poster were released, initiating the six-month marketing countdown to the theatrical debut.
Broader Industry Implications
Forgotten Island represents a broader shift in the animation industry toward original intellectual property (IP). While sequels and spin-offs remain the primary revenue drivers for major studios, the success of films like The Bad Guys has demonstrated that there is a significant appetite for fresh stories and diverse perspectives.
The film also highlights the increasing importance of global representation. By centering a major studio production on Filipino mythology and featuring a predominantly Asian and Asian-American cast, Universal and DreamWorks are acknowledging the global nature of the modern film audience. This move is likely to influence other major studios to explore underutilized cultural landscapes for future projects.
Moreover, the thematic focus on the "cost of growing up" and the potential loss of friendship resonates with a universal audience. As Jo and Raissa face the literal threat of forgetting their history, the film serves as a metaphor for the natural drift that occurs in many real-life friendships. This emotional grounding, combined with the technical prowess of Crawford and Mercado, positions Forgotten Island as a significant contender for the 2026 awards season.
As the September release date approaches, Universal is expected to roll out a comprehensive marketing campaign including behind-the-scenes looks at the animation process, deep dives into the mythology of Nakali, and promotional singles from the soundtrack. For now, the first trailer has successfully established Forgotten Island as a visually daring and culturally significant entry in the DreamWorks Animation canon.
