DreamWorks Animation has released the first trailer for their new animated feature, Forgotten Island.
Set in the 1990s, HER and Liza Soberano voice Joe and Raisa, two best friends trying to go their separate ways after high school. As they celebrate their last night eating junk food and singing karaoke, they encounter a magical portal.
This portal is a gateway to the stories they heard in their childhood, places in Philippine folklore where shapeshifters, demons, witches, and monsters exist. Their friendship will be tested as they encounter friends and enemies and find their way home.
Written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the idea was inspired by their own friendship. The two met during the production of Kung Fu Panda 2. “We quickly realized that we had very similar sensibilities,” Mercado said.
Mercado and Crawford were on hand to unveil the trailer to a room full of journalists, bloggers and creators at DreamWorks headquarters in Glendale. Joining them were Gabi Wilson and Soberano, known as HER.
“The Forgotten Island” is Wilson’s first foray into voice acting and animation. The multi-hyphenate spoke about when he received a script that centered around friendship and respected Filipino heritage. She said, “I was so excited. You never know. We were in the Philippines in 2019 and my mom was trying to scare us with all these stories. I literally grew up with those stories. With this production, I was able to share a part of my childhood with the world.”
Soberano added, “It has been a lifelong dream of mine to be part of a project that represents the Philippines so accurately, but at the same time is so universal that people can relate to it.” She added: “It’s very exciting to see a major studio showcasing Filipino culture.”
Regarding the film’s setting in the 1990s, Crawford and Mercado explained that not only was it their formative years, but it was also a time before cell phones and the ability to take 100 photos at once. Mercado said, “The story was about friends becoming estranged, and when they go off to college, it feels like it’s the last time. Will we see each other again? Will we forget? Just FaceTime won’t do it.” “Polaroids are a huge part of this movie. Think of a Polaroid pack. You have 12 photos and you’re very specific about how you use them. Whereas now we have cell phones and how do you take a bunch of photos?” Would I ever watch it again? I mean, a lot of the ’90s stuff is really about tapping into nostalgia for us, but also reinforcing the stakes of this movie.”
When it came to the film’s animation style, the duo wanted to push the medium of animation and evolve its style. “There is a connection to anime in terms of pushing action and character expression,” Crawford says.
“The 2D elements we played with in ‘Puss in Boots’ are pushed out with this hand-drawn, painterly texture,” Mercado added, “bringing it to life and pushing out the fantasy side.” He went on to say: “With cinematography, we try to treat it as if we’re actually shooting a movie. We also have wider lenses. There’s light leaking into the camera, and it’s all connected to memories, nostalgia, and the theme of the photos we take.”
Rounding out the voice cast are Lea Salonga, Dave Franco, Manny Jacinto, Jenny Slate, Jo Koy, Dolly De Leon, Ronnie Chen, and Amieline Abelera.
“Forgotten Island” will be released in the US on September 25th.
Watch the trailer below.
