Written & Directed: Joel Crawford, Januel P. Mercad
Producer: Mark Swift
Original Music: athan Matthew David
Main Voice Cast: H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, Lea Salonga
Cultural Inspiration: Filipino mythology, folklore, and family storytelling

Welcome to the World of Nakali

Forgotten Island follows lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa as an unexpected journey into the mythical world of Nakali turns their final night together into a fight to preserve the memories that connect them. Inspired by Filipino folklore, the film combines imaginative creatures, energetic comedy, and a deeply personal friendship story.

DreamWorks gives the adventure a colorful, highly stylized visual identity, while the emotional stakes surrounding memory, change, and growing apart give its fantasy world a strong human center.

Nearly 700 Artists Bring Nakali to Life

Forgotten Island was produced by DreamWorks Animation and written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, with Mark Swift producing. The trio previously collaborated on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and the new film brought together a production team of nearly 700 artists.

Production designer Ryan Carlson and art director Chris Grun helped establish a visual language that mixes CG animation with varied graphic influences and stylized approaches to memory. The filmmakers traveled to the Philippines for 10 days in spring 2025, gathering visual references and spending time with Filipino families and communities. Experiences from that trip directly influenced several moments in the finished film, including Raissa’s going-away party.

The production drew heavily from Mercado’s Filipino heritage and Crawford’s Filipino family connections. DreamWorks artists also faced detailed technical challenges in areas such as hair, clothing, accessories, and the many supernatural characters inhabiting Nakali, giving the film a particularly elaborate character-animation workload.

Welcome to the World of Nakali

Nearly 700 Artists Bring Nakali to Life

Forgotten Island Feature Characters