"Animation Brings People Into the Fantastical" | Forgotten Island's Joel Crawford & Januel Mercado

Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado spoke about Forgotten Island, the original new animated feature the two are co-directing for DreamWorks Animation — their first film together that isn't a sequel. Fresh from the trailer launch that had just gone live, the duo spoke candidly about the liberation of building something from a blank canvas after the weight of beloved franchises, the deeply personal ingredients — friendship, memory, Filipino culture and mythology — they've poured into the film, and why they believe animation is the single greatest medium for telling stories that truly matter. In a conversation that built to a genuinely moving close, Crawford and Mercado made one thing unmistakably clear: this one is personal. Interviews for Forgotten Island at the Junket. The film stars H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Lea Salonga, Jo Koy, Dolly de Leon, Ronny Chieng and Amielynn Abellera; it was written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado. Stefan Pape asks the questions. Plot: Set in 1990s Philippines, lifelong best friends Jo and Raissa are on the brink of being separated when Raissa prepares to move to the United States after high school. Before they can say goodbye, the two are swept through a magical portal into Nakali — the fantastical, forgotten island of Filipino folklore — where shapeshifters, demons and mythical creatures roam, and where memories fade the longer you stay. With their friendship and their very sense of each other on the line, Jo and Raissa must fight their way home before they forget everything they ever meant to one another. Forgotten Island will be released in cinemas in October 2026. #ForgottenIsland #JoelCrawford #JanuelMercado #DreamWorks #HeyUGuys #Animation #DreamWorksAnimation #FilipinoCulture #Junket #Interview --------------------- For syndication or usage opportunities please contact [email protected]. --------------------- More from HeyUGuys: Website ► http://HeyUGuys.com Follow us on Twitter ► http://twitter.com/HeyUGuys Subscribe here! ► http://bit.ly/HeyUGuysYTSub Facebook ► http://facebook.com/HeyUGuys Instagram ► http://instagram.com/HeyUGuysOfficial TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@heyuguysofficial ---------------------