Filipino-American stars will headline the main voice cast of DreamWorks' upcoming animated feature inspired by Philippine mythology titled Forgotten Island.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Liza Soberano, H.E.R., and Lea Salonga are among the lead voices in the film. They will be joined by Filipino-Canadian star Manny Jacinto, Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate.
Forgotten Island tells the story of lifelong best friends Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (voiced by Liza) who become stranded on the magical, long-forgotten island of Nakali where the only path home may mean giving up their most treasured memories.
The film is being written and co-directed by Filipino-American filmmaker Januel Mercado alongside Joel Crawford. Universal Pictures is set to release the movie in theaters on September 25, 2026.
Forgotten Island will be the first film where Januel receives full directing credit. He previously co-directed the critically acclaimed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, also produced by DreamWorks.
Born and raised in Stockton, California to Filipino parents, Januel studied animation and illustration at San Jose State University. In a past interview with GMA News, he shared how his parents nurtured his artistic talents early on.
"[My parents] saw early on when I was a kid that I just loved to draw, and they recognized that talent right away. And they nurtured it," he shared.
He highlighted how his Filipino heritage continues to shape his storytelling. "My love and care and my Filipino culture is very universal as well. It's just like the connection and the closeness that you have with your family," he remarked.
"And it's often that the people who you're closest to are the ones, that you butt heads and bicker with the most because you have that trust and you have that relationship and I'm very proud to say that, that's that specific experience. And the way I live is tied to the emotion of the film and the character dynamics," he added.
Januel began his career as a storyboard artist and steadily worked his way up in the animation industry. He previously worked on major films like Kung Fu Panda 2 and Penguins of Madagascar, among others.