DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island brings the Philippines of the ’90s to the screen, with Filipino talent filling its world with familiar voices, music, and a little folklore.

The Philippines of the ’90s had its own kind of magic. Karaoke filled living rooms, pop songs played on the radio, afternoons seemed endless, and stories of creatures like the manananggal were never too far from childhood. That world comes to life in DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island.
Set in a fantastical version of the Philippines, the film follows best friends after they find themselves on the mysterious island of Nakali, a place filled with folklore and its own share of surprises.

FORGOTTEN ISLAND | Official Trailer

The film comes from writer-directors Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford, who looked to their own connections to the Philippines while bringing its world to life.
For Mercado, who is Filipino-American, those connections go back to childhood visits to the country. Crawford’s own ties come through his Filipina wife and her family. Their memories find their way into the film’s details, from its ’90s setting to the traditions, humor, and folklore found throughout Nakali.
The film’s Filipino talent shines just as brightly across its cast, with an almost full lineup of Filipino stars bringing the film’s characters to life.
Liza Soberano plays Raissa, while Grammy-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R. voices Jo. Lea Salonga lends her voice to Manang, the film’s formidable manananggal, alongside Dolly de Leon, Manny Jacinto, and Jo Koy. With so many Filipino talents behind the characters, Forgotten Island feels just as familiar in its voices as it does in the world it creates.
The film’s soundtrack is just as star-studded. Alongside H.E.R., the soundtrack features BINI, SB19, Sophia Laforteza of KATSEYE, and Ruby Ibarra, bringing together some of the biggest names in Filipino and Filipino-American music.
BINI’s A Parallel World and SB19’s Mga Kababayan are among the songs featured in the film, joined by Laforteza’s Never Tear Us Apart, and BRB, a duet between H.E.R. and Soberano. The soundtrack jumps from pop to R&amp;B and Filipino musical influences, giving Forgotten Island a sound all its own. 
Filipino-American composer Nathan Matthew David takes inspiration from Philippine musical traditions and indigenous sounds for the film’s orchestral score.
For all its mythical creatures and magical detours, Forgotten Island is grounded in details that feel close to home. The music, the humor, the ’90s nostalgia, and the stories passed down from one generation to the next all give Nakali a sense of familiarity.&nbsp;
It may be an island that exists somewhere beyond the ordinary, but its heart is unmistakably Filipino.
Forgotten Island arrives in Philippine cinemas on September 23, 2026.

The Filipino Creatives Behind Forgotten Island

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES AUGUST 2026 - Tia Lee ₱600

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES PHILIPPINES JUNE 2026 - James Reid ₱600

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES JUNE/JULY 2026 - Atasha Muhlach ₱600

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES MAY 2026 - Kylie Verzosa ₱600

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES APRIL 2026 - Rocio Zobel ₱600

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES PHILIPPINES MARCH 2026 - Andres Muhlach ₱600

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES MARCH 2026 - Nadine Lustre ₱600 

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES FEBRUARY 2026 - Mika Salamanca and Brent Manalo ₱600 

L'OFFICIEL HOMMES PHILIPPINES DECEMBER 2025 - Jay Chou ₱600

L'OFFICIEL PHILIPPINES DECEMBER/JANUARY 2025/2026 - Siobhan Moylan ₱600

The Filipino Creatives Behind Forgotten Island

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