DreamWorks Animation is giving audiences a deeper look at Forgotten Island with a new First Look spotlighting stars H.E.R. and Liza Soberano alongside writers-directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. Rather than simply teasing the film’s fantasy world, this preview helps frame Forgotten Island as a story rooted in friendship, memory, and the fear of growing apart. That emotional angle already gives the original animated feature a stronger identity, especially with Jo and Raissa at the center, two lifelong best friends whose final night together turns into a fight to hold onto everything they mean to each other.
A Friendship on the Edge of Change
What makes Forgotten Island stand out right away is how much of the story hinges on a real emotional turning point. Jo and Raissa are not just thrown into danger for the sake of spectacle. They are high school graduates about to head down separate life paths, which means the adventure begins with a truth a lot of people know too well. Sometimes the scariest part of growing up is realizing that even your closest relationships can change.
That makes Nakali feel like more than a fantasy backdrop. The island becomes a physical expression of everything the two friends are trying to hold onto. Once they discover that the cost of getting home could be the memories of their friendship, the movie instantly gains higher emotional stakes. It is not just about escaping monsters or surviving a magical world. It is about whether they can keep their bond intact before life, and the island, erase it.
Nakali Looks Built for Wonder and Chaos
The First Look also helps sell the world itself. Nakali is packed with magical and mythological creatures drawn from the stories Jo and Raissa grew up hearing from their Filipino families, which gives the film a strong cultural and visual identity. Some of those creatures will become allies, others threats, and that mix should give the movie room to balance wonder, comedy, and danger.
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That balance feels especially promising with Crawford and Mercado guiding the film. As the team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, they already know how to give animated fantasy real emotional momentum. Here, they seem to be aiming for something dazzling but personal, which is exactly what this story needs. The addition of Dave Franco as the well-meaning weredog Raww and Lea Salonga as The Dreaded Manananggal only makes the world feel richer and stranger in the best way.
Forgotten Island Remembers to Carry the Heart
H.E.R. and Liza Soberano feel like a major part of why this First Look lands. Since the film depends so heavily on Jo and Raissa’s connection, the emotional authenticity of that friendship matters as much as any creature design or action set piece. The wider voice cast, including Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, and Ronny Chieng, should help give the island even more personality around that central relationship.
Forgotten Island opens only in theaters on September 25, 2026. Audiences will be able to experience DreamWorks Animation’s new original adventure exclusively on the big screen when it arrives this fall.
Are you more excited by the fantasy world of Forgotten Island or the emotional friendship story at its center? Does this First Look make the movie feel more special than a standard animated adventure? Which cast member are you most excited to hear in the film? Share your thoughts in the comments or @me.
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