DreamWorks Animation has dropped the first trailer for Forgotten Island, a new animated feature that pairs H.E.R. with Liza Soberano in a story that blends coming-of-age stakes with Filipino folklore. The film, set for a September 25 U.S. release, marks H.E.R.’s first major voice acting role—and one rooted directly in her own cultural background.
Set in the late ’90s, Forgotten Island centers on Jo and Raissa, two best friends on the brink of going their separate ways after high school. Per Variety, what starts as a final night of karaoke and junk food quickly shifts when they discover a hidden portal that pulls them into a supernatural world built from the stories they grew up hearing—filled with shapeshifters, demons, witches, and other figures from Filipino mythology.
As the two navigate that unfamiliar space, their friendship becomes the anchor—and the risk—as they try to find their way back home.
For H.E.R., the role hits close. The Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist, born Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, has long spoken about her Filipina and Black American identity, and how deeply those roots shaped her upbringing.
From growing up on Filipino food like sinigang and adobo to reconnecting with her family in the Philippines in 2019, her connection to that culture carries into the film. “I was so excited. You have no idea,” she said of reading the script. “I literally grew up on them. I get to share a piece of my childhood in this work and with the world.”
Soberano, who voices Raissa, framed the project as both personal and overdue. “It’s been a long-time dream of mine to be able to be in a project that really represented the Philippines in a very accurate way,” she said, adding that the story’s themes still reach beyond culture. “At the same time, [it] is universal enough for people to be able to relate to.”
Behind the camera, Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado—who first connected while working on Kung Fu Panda 2—built the film around their own friendship and shared creative instincts.
The decision to set the story in the ’90s wasn’t just aesthetic. “It was telling a story about friends growing apart and feeling like it’s going to be final,” Mercado said, pointing to a pre-smartphone era where distance actually meant something.
The cast rounds out with other Filipino big names like Lea Salonga, Manny Jacinto, and Jo Koy.
