An Exclusive Look at the Making of Forgotten Island

Vogue Philippines meets the artists and creatives behind DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island.

This coming September, Forgotten Island will make history as DreamWorks’ inaugural Filipino animated film. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the story follows Jo and Raissa, two best friends who spend their last night together before they go their separate ways. On that very night, the pair stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the mythical island of Nakali, and they must face creatures and obstacles to find their way back home.

As the special-edition cover story of Vogue Philippines, the cast and crew of Forgotten Island give us an inside look at the making of the film ahead of its theatrical release.

H.E.R. as Jo

Gabi Wilson, better known as H.E.R., plays Jo, an artistic, deeply loyal high school graduate and one of the protagonists of Forgotten Island. 

When Wilson first heard of the project, she was at DreamWorks for another meeting. Two things intrigued her about the film: one, that it was inspired by Filipino mythology, and two, that it was an animated feature. In the Vogue Philippines cover story, she shares,  “When [Januel and Joel] started to talk about the film, number one, it being Filipino, I was so excited. I was like, no way my favorite animation studio is doing a film about my culture.”

Just like her character, Jo, Wilson had fun voice-acting for the film.  “In the booth, it was just straight play. Like I could be crazy. I could make the craziest, funniest faces, scream as loudly as possible, and say something really silly and over-the-top. It felt like my inner child was alive and that’s something that I love doing, keeping my inner child alive.”

Liza Soberano as Raissa

The other half of the pair is Raissa, voiced by Liza Soberano. In contrast to Jo’s personality, she’s extremely Type A, always sticking to a plan and keeping things organized.

Just as Wilson was excited at the prospect of a Filipino mythology-inspired animated film, Soberano was, too, when she received the audition. “I was like, oh my gosh, I really would love to be part of this,” she says. Initially, Soberano auditioned for the role of Jo and was eventually invited back to read for Raissa. 

For Soberano, the project began to mirror her own life as she transitioned into launching her career in Hollywood. “I was really yearning. I was yearning because I missed home. I missed being around family and the people that I love, and just being around the culture,” she shares. Just as she was leaping, so was her character. “She was also going through the experience of having to leave the Philippines to pursue an education,” she says. “I felt I was kind of capturing this moment in time in my own experience, and my personal life, and it was framed in a very beautiful way through the movie.”

Lea Salonga as Manang

In Forgotten Island, Lea Salonga lends her Tony Award-winning voice to the terrifying Mananggal (also known as Manang in the film), a powerful, majestic, and feared creature on the mythical island of Nakali.

“When they first approached me about the project, of course, I got really, really excited because I don’t think a specifically Filipino story has ever been told like this,” she tells Vogue Philippines. At first glance, Manang seems to be a far cry from Salonga’s globally known roles in Miss Saigon and Les Misérables, but just as her other roles, the creature was shaped by loss and tragedy. This emotional weight was carried into her lines, musical phrases, and Manang’s theme. 

“It’s more than just a dialogue performance, it’s more than just a singing performance,” Crawford adds, “it’s using every element of Lea’s craft to Filipino in the same industry as you, be able to bring this character to life.”

Dolly de Leon as Lola Fatima

Meanwhile, Golden Globe nominee Dolly de Leon plays Lola Fatima, Jo’s cool, folklore-knowing grandmother.

For de Leon, she was not only struck by the fact that it’s a Filipino mythology-inspired story. She was also delighted to work in a film with a primarily Filipino cast. “Normally when I do a project,

I’m the only Filipino. But this time, almost the entirety of the cast is Filipino,” she says.

Unlike her usual projects, she immediately said yes to the project before even having read the script. “Normally, when I’m offered a project, or if there’s an option for me to be a part of a project, the first thing I ask for is the script. But for this, I didn’t even need to ask for the script. Number one, it’s DreamWorks. Two, it’s about our culture, Filipino culture. I immediately said yes.”

The friendship and community that built Nakali

In the film’s companion book, Crawford and Mercado describe the project’s beginnings as similar to cooking adobo: combining, marinating, and simmering different elements they wanted for the film. Namely, Filipino culture and mythology, the various genres in film, and the spirit of friendship. Just like their characters, Crawford and Mercado have been friends for years, working on DreamWorks projects such as Kung Fu Panda 2, The Croods: A New Age, and Puss in Boots.

Jo and Raissa’s friendship drives the story, and the story is built by a Filipino community. When the co-directors only had a script, the bayanihan spirit organically came to them. “One of the cool things was that so many Filipino American artists at DreamWorks, and our friends, in their own free time were saying, can we help you guys with this? We want this project to exist,” they tell Vogue Philippines. 

The homegrown artists that drew Forgotten Island

Back in the homeland, local animators helped bring Forgotten Island to the screen. Snipple Studios, an award-winning production studio based in Quezon City, stepped in when they needed hand-drawn 2D animation.

“These are seasoned animators who have been in the industry since the ’80s,” says Mercado. “When we visited, I was actually getting emotional, because I’ve never seen an animation studio of all Filipino artists. It was really amazing and inspiring.”

The music of Forgotten Island

Anthony Francisco, the artist behind the designs of major characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, insisted that the Forgotten Island soundtrack needed a Francis M song to capture the Philippines in the ‘90s. He also introduced the directors to composer Nathan Matthew David, who took inspiration from indigenous traditions for the music of Manang.

Aside from digging into the past, the film’s soundtrack also brings something new. “A Parallel World” is the first original song created for the soundtrack, performed by the “Nation’s Girl Group,” Bini. Over two days in Los Angeles, the group worked with David and co-composer and record producer Shawn Wasabi.

“[The song] is about friendship, that whatever happens you hold on to each other,” shares leader Jhoanna. “It was relatable to us from the start because I feel like our core as a group is our sisterhood.”

“I think [their friendship] is similar to Bini,” Gwen shares. “We came from different provinces, so of course we grew up differently. We had different beliefs and different ways of seeing things. But we grew up together. After living together for years, you really have no choice but to adjust, learn, and get to know each other deeply. Like them, we just keep moving forward. We’re sisters now.”

Aside from Bini, the soundtrack also features Filipino artists Lea Salonga, SB19, and Katseye’s Sophia Laforteza, as well as additional original songs by Ruby Ibarra, H.E.R., and Soberano.