If escaping a magical island meant losing every memory of your best friend, would you still try to find your way home?
That impossible choice lies at the heart of DreamWorks’ upcoming animated film “Forgotten Island”, a fantasy adventure inspired by Philippine folklore that puts bedtime stories onto one of animation’s biggest stages.
The film follows childhood friends Jo and Raissa who are about to part ways after high school but are sucked into the magical island of Nakali.
Along the way, they meet mythological creatures and monsters they thought would only ever exist in the stories they were told as kids.
Meet the monsters
Rarely do Filipino mythology and folklore take center stage in global film and television. One of the biggest examples so far has been Netflix’s animated series “Trese,” based on the Filipino supernatural horror comic by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo.
But in “Forgotten Island,” the world will meet The Dreaded Manananggal, the most feared villain on Nakali that feeds on memories.
In Philippine folklore, the “manananggal” is a winged vampiric creature that can separate its upper torso from the lower part of its body. They’re even more terrifying because they can pose as normal humans during the day and feast on humans at night.
In the trailer recently released by DreamWorks, Jo and Raissa are also joined by a weredog named Raww. Local lore has a number of shapeshifting monsters, so jury’s still out which exact being inspired the character.
Fans also spotted “anitos,” the wood carvings that house Filipino ancestor spirits, nature spirits, and deities; “a soul-stealing “daligmata” covered in eyes; what appears to be a “syokoy” or a more terrifying merman; the child-like “tiyanak,” the iconic half-man, half-horse “tikbalang” practicing eskrima, and what could either be the legendary multicolored chicken “Sarimanok” or the sun-swallowing dragon-like bird “Minokawa.”
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A proudly Pinoy production
The project is led by Filipino-American filmmaker Januel Mercado alongside Joel Crawford, with Mark Swift producing. The trio previously collaborated on the Oscar-nominated “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”
The cast is also teeming with Filipino talent. Jo is played by Grammy-winning R&B artist H.E.R., while Raissa is voiced by Filipino actress Liza Soberano, who also portrayed Alexandra Trese in the animated adaptation of “Trese.”
Broadway icon Lea Salonga voices the terrifying manananggal, joined by BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon, Manny Jacinto, Jo Koy, Amielynn Abellera, and Sophia Laforteza. Talk about Pinoy pride! Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, and Ronny Chieng round out the international ensemble.
A star-studded soundtrack
It would be remiss for the creators not to tap into Filipinos’ love for music, so the soundtrack is packed full of songs from big-time artists.
It features BINI, SB19, H.E.R., Salonga, and Laforteza, with BINI recently teasing their contribution, “A Parallel World,” during the Manila kickoff of their Signals World Tour.
From the Philippines to the world
“Forgotten Island” will release in theaters this September, but the film got a surprise screening at the renowned Annecy International Animation Film Festival, where it got a five-minute standing ovation as the credits rolled.
For generations, Filipino monsters have lived through whispered stories and classroom folklore.
Soon, they will be flying onto cinema screens around the world.
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Hazel Camba 
Carmela Calling 
Jheruleene Anne Ramos