In a landscape dominated by sequels and franchises, Forgotten Island stands out as a bold original animated adventure. Directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the duo behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, are bringing a deeply personal story to the big screen. The film follows Filipino teens Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) as they discover the mythical island of Nakali. In a recent interview with Collider, the directors opened up about the film's origins, their creative process, and confirmed they already have ideas for a sequel.
The seeds for Forgotten Island were planted back in 2020, right after the duo finished working on The Croods: A New Age. "We started to kick around an idea of what story we would want to tell," Crawford explained. Inspired by their own friendship, as well as the Filipino heritage in their families, they wanted to create something personal and original. "We had all these ingredients that we were actually like, 'Oh, we want to tell something personal and original.'" The project was put on hold while they made Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, but they returned to it with renewed passion.
Coming off the success of Puss in Boots, the directors were eager to push the boundaries of animation even further. "With pushing the medium, you always want to do something different," Mercado said. They incorporated more 2D elements and anime-inspired expressions into Forgotten Island, a challenge that required innovative solutions. "How do you get these broad 2D expressions with the 3D models?" Mercado recalled. Their team rose to the occasion, using 2D drawn elements and stickers on 3D heads and shapes to achieve the desired effect.
The film is also a celebration of female friendship, a theme that resonates deeply with the directors. "It really is about celebrating unsung heroes," Crawford said. "People who do so much and maybe have never heard how much they mean to you, or a whole culture that really hasn't had the center stage." The movie is a love letter to the powerful women in their lives, including Crawford's wife, who grew up in the Philippines, and Mercado's sister.
One of the most memorable moments during production came when they screened an early cut for the Filipino P-pop group BINI, who contributed a song to the film. "They were all just up to the nines, like super powerful pop stars they are, and by the end of the movie they were all crying," Mercado shared. "My favorite memory was just seeing them all outside in the line, every single one of them was putting their makeup back on because the movie destroyed them in the best way possible."
As for what's next, Crawford and Mercado confirmed they've already started thinking about a sequel to Forgotten Island. While they didn't reveal specific plot details, their enthusiasm for the world and characters is evident. Fans of the film can look forward to more adventures from Jo and Raissa in the future.
Forgotten Island is now playing in theaters. For more on the film, check out our interview with Liza Soberano and H.E.R. about the Filipino heart of the movie.
