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DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island Puts Filipino Mythology Front and Center

AD Staff
3 days ago
1 min read

Liza Soberano voices Raissa, H.E.R. lends her voice to Jo, and Lea Salonga joins the cast of Forgotten Island.

DreamWorks Animation’s upcoming feature Forgotten Island is shaping up to be something pretty special. The film stands out not only for its story rooted in Philippine mythology but also for who’s telling it. Hollywood has made some progress on Asian representation, but full-length animated features drawn from specific Southeast Asian cultures have been almost nonexistent. As Rolling Stone Philippines noted, it’s “the first international film by a major studio to highlight Filipino stories.”

The movie revolves around Jo and Raissa, two best friends who find themselves stranded on the mystical island of Nakali with creatures and folklore pulled straight out of Filipino legend.

Behind the camera, Forgotten Island is led by Filipino American filmmaker Januel Mercado. who previously worked on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. And the cast? It’s stacked. Liza Soberano voices Raissa, with H.E.R. (yes, the Grammy-winning R&B artist) lending her voice to Jo. Lea Salonga joins the ensemble, alongside Manny Jacinto (The Good Place), Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate. It’s a cast that not only represents Filipino excellence but also shows how far Asian American talent and representation has come in Hollywood.

Seeing this many Filipino and Asian American artists in a DreamWorks production is great to see and sends a powerful message that these stories and cultures belong. Forgotten Island will be in theaters late 2026.

Photos by Liza Soberano/Instagram, Hermusicofficial/Instagram, Phillip Romano Photo/Wikimedia Commons

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DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island Puts Filipino Mythology Front and Center

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