Forgotten Island new trailer: Film Guide & Cast Preview

The Forgotten Island new trailer presents the project as an animated fantasy adventure film inspired by Filipino folklore. Rather than introducing a game system or playable world, the trailer centers on two longtime friends whose final night together takes an impossible turn. Jo and Raissa are preparing to follow different life paths when a mysterious portal transports them to Nakali, a magical island filled with creatures drawn from stories associated with their Filipino families.

The trailer begins with familiar friendship dynamics: future plans, university decisions, family reactions, and the pressure of growing up. Jo plans to transfer to a university in Manila, while Raissa discusses continuing her education in the United States. Their conversation gives the fantasy premise an emotional foundation before the portal changes the direction of their lives.

Video Highlights:

• Jo and Raissa celebrate their final night together before leaving for different schools.
• A mysterious portal transports the friends to the fantastical island of Nakali.
• Raww, a friendly but unpredictable weredog, becomes part of their journey.
• The Manananggal threatens to consume the memories that define their friendship.
• The trailer balances comedy, mythology, danger, and emotional stakes.

The trailer’s main hook is easy to understand: the island may look like a paradise, but returning home comes at a personal cost. Jo and Raissa must protect the memories of their friendship while searching for a way back. That premise gives the film a strong emotional question: if two people forget their shared history, can their relationship survive?

The story is built around Jo and Raissa, two friends who have known each other since grade school. Their relationship is not presented as a casual partnership; it is the emotional center of the film. The opening scenes emphasize their shared history, while the island forces them to defend that history against a creature that can remove memories.

Jo is voiced by H.E.R., while Raissa is voiced by Liza Soberano. The trailer gives both characters a mixture of humor, anxiety, determination, and disbelief as they try to understand their new surroundings. Their friendship also creates the film’s clearest motivation: they are not simply trying to escape Nakali, but trying to return home without forgetting one another.

Raww, voiced by Dave Franco, adds a different kind of energy. He is a weredog whose transformation is connected to proximity with sticks, creating several of the trailer’s comic moments. His unusual condition makes him memorable, but the character also appears to function as a guide and ally within the island’s dangerous environment.

The supporting cast includes Lea Salonga, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, and Ronny Chieng. The available material identifies Salonga as the voice of the Manananggal, while the other performers expand the film’s ensemble around Jo, Raissa, and Raww.

Nakali is described as a fantastical island filled with magical and mythological creatures that Jo and Raissa grew up hearing about through their Filipino families. This setting gives the film a clear cultural foundation while leaving room for adventure, comedy, and danger.

The trailer does not frame every creature as an enemy. Some beings become friends, while others become foes. That division creates a flexible fantasy world where the protagonists must decide whom to trust. Raww represents the friendly side of Nakali, but the Manananggal represents the island’s most dangerous threat.

The Manananggal is described as a demon who feeds on memories. The danger is more serious than simply being trapped in an unfamiliar place. If Jo and Raissa lose the memories of their friendship, they may no longer recognize the relationship they are trying to save. The trailer repeatedly reinforces this idea through warnings that memories, once torn away, may not return.

A useful way to understand the premise is to separate the physical goal from the emotional goal. Physically, Jo and Raissa need to find a path home. Emotionally, they need to preserve the memories that make home meaningful. The two objectives are connected, but the trailer suggests that escape may require more than courage.

The new trailer highlights a medley of animation styles, helping distinguish the film from a conventional fantasy adventure. Its visual identity is connected to the contrast between Jo and Raissa’s everyday world and the strange, colorful environment of Nakali.

Forgotten Island is an original DreamWorks Animation feature coming to theaters through Universal Pictures. Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado write and direct the film, while Mark Swift produces. The creative team previously worked on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, giving the project an experienced animation pedigree without making it a sequel or adaptation of that series.

The film’s visual approach appears designed to support two tones at once. Everyday scenes use recognizable social situations, including school plans and a final night together. Nakali then expands the scale into a world of portals, mythological creatures, supernatural transformations, and looming threats.

For a deeper production overview, read Animation Magazine’s report on the new Forgotten Island trailer, published June 23, 2026. The article discusses the film’s folklore-inspired setting, animation styles, story premise, creative team, and cast.

The film is scheduled to arrive in theaters through Universal Pictures on September 25, 2026. Until the film is released, the trailer provides the clearest available outline of the story: two friends enter Nakali, meet magical beings, face the Manananggal, and risk losing the memories that connect them.

The strongest reason to follow future updates is the combination of cultural mythology and a personal coming-of-age story. Jo and Raissa are not searching for a generic treasure or competing for a title. They are trying to preserve a friendship during a moment when their lives are already beginning to change.