Liza Soberano’s ‘Forgotten Island’ first trailer highlights Filipino elements

The first official trailer for the Hollywood animated feature “Forgotten Island,” starring Liza Soberano and Filipino-American singer H.E.R., has been released, offering a first look at the fantasy adventure rooted in Filipino mythology. 

The trailer, released on Thursday, March 26, opens with Soberano’s Raissa and H.E.R.’s Jo meeting for the first time outside their school principal’s office in the 1990s. The two girls form a friendship sealed with a friendship bracelet. 

The trailer then pans to a montage of the two girls’ friendship moments over the years. “We’re gonna be best friends forever, right?” H.E.R.’s Jo tells Soberano’s Raissa, who responds, “Forever and ever.” 

The duo is then seen sitting outside a jeepney’s hood, having a conversation about Raissa moving abroad to continue her studies. “It shouldn’t be your parents’ choice; it’s your life,” Jo argues. 

In the middle of their conversation, a magical portal appears in an image of the sun seen on the Philippine flag. The portal devours the girls and transports them to the dangerous Forgotten Island. 

“The longer you are here, the more memories you’ll forget,” says Jo. “We would forget everything, even each other?” asks Raissa, before the trailer pans to a montage of the two girls fighting their way back home while Simple Minds’ 1985 hit “Don’t You Forget About Me” plays in the background. 

The trailer ends with Raissa having a panic attack Jo comforts her by making her sing “Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men. 

The animated film, produced by DreamWorks Animation, is set to hit theaters on September 25 this year. 

Aside from H.E.R. and Soberano, Lea Salonga, Manny Jacinto, Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Dolly de Leon, and Jo Koy are also part of the voice cast ensemble. 

The film is directed by Joel Crawford and Filipino-American filmmaker Januel Mercado, marking the latter’s feature directorial debut. /edv