A friendship story, a mysterious portal and an island packed with Filipino mythology, Forgotten Island is ready to take audiences on an adventure far from ordinary.
Universal Pictures India, distributed by Warner Bros. Discovery, will release the original animated film in Indian cinemas on 25 September 2026.
Written and directed by Academy award and Bafta nominee Joel Crawford and Januel P. Mercado, and produced by Academy award and Bafta nominee Mark Swift, the film reunites the filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
“The Philippines is beautiful,” Crawford shared. “The culture was a huge part of what we wanted to celebrate in this movie. It is incredibly warm and welcoming, the kind of place where, if you are there, you are family. Everyone is singing, dancing, eating and drinking together. And the myths still feel very alive there. Everyone we met had a story about seeing Manananggal.”
The voice cast is equally starry. Grammy and Academy award winner Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson known professionally as H.E.R. and international star Liza Soberano lead the film as high school graduates Jo and Raissa, alongside Emmy nominee Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Bafta nominee Dolly de Leon, comedian Jo Koy and Emmy winner Ronny Chieng.
Forgotten Island follows Jo and Raissa, best friends since grade school, as they prepare to go their separate ways after graduation. During one final night together, the pair stumble upon a mysterious portal and are transported to Nakali, a fantastical island filled with magical and mythological creatures from the Filipino stories they grew up hearing from their families.
As they navigate the unfamiliar world, their friendship becomes the beating heart of the adventure.
To build Nakali, the filmmakers went straight to the source. Crawford, Mercado, Swift, production designer Ryan Carlson and art director Chris Grun travelled to the Philippines in spring 2025 for a 10-day research trip across the islands and Manila.
The journey was not all work and no play. Mercado’s relatives hosted a lively welcome party for the creative team and Crawford’s family, a gathering that later inspired the going-away party Raissa’s family throws for her in the film.
With friendship at its core and Filipino culture and mythology powering its fantastical world, Forgotten Island is preparing to open a portal to something magical when it arrives in cinemas on 25 September 2026.
