Grammy, Oscar and Emmy-winning artist H.E.R. (The Color Purple), Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein, My Ex and Whys), Tony winner Lea Salonga (Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, KPop Demon Hunters), Dave Franco (Regretting You, Now You See Me 3), Manny Jacinto (The Acolyte, Freakier Friday) and Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Dying for Sex) have been announced to feature in the voice cast of Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island.
The new original picture is written and directed by Joel Crawford (The Croods: A New Age, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) and Januel Mercado (co-director, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish; supervising director, Harvey Beaks) and produced by Mark Swift (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish). Forgotten Island marks the third collaboration between Crawford and Swift, who received Academy Award, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations for The Last Wish. It also marks the directorial debut for Mercado.
As announced this spring, Universal Pictures will release the action-adventure animated comedy on September 25, 2026. The plot line has been revealed with today’s announcement:
Synopsis: What if your lifelong best friend just forgot all about you? Forgot all the love, the joy, the pain, all of the memories and experiences you once shared. When Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano) find themselves stranded on the fantastic world of the forgotten island of Nakali, they find that their only way home might come at the expense of a lifetime of memories and emotions.
H.E.R. is represented by Lighthouse Management + Media, CAA and Hertz Lichtenstein Young & Polk. Soberano is represented by Verve, 3 Arts Entertainment and Jackoway Austen Tyerman. Salonga is represented by Amplified Entertainment. Franco is represented by Anonymous, WME and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP. Jacinto is represented by CAA, Alchemy Entertainment, Principals Talent, The Lede Company and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Slate is represented by CAA, Linden Entertainment, Mosaic, The Lede Company and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.
