Forgotten Island will soon bring not-yuri to NA theaters. Why do I call it “not-yuri”, you might ask? Well, it’s because this animated fantasy adventure comedy film from directors and writers Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado contains all the ingredients to make it a sapphic romantic comedy movie, even though the main characters Jo (voiced by H.E.R.) and Raissa (voiced by Liza Soberano) are claimed to only be “best friends” in promotional material. Mayhaps that might change when we actually see the movie, or their relationship might stay platonic. Either way, it looks like this will a very entertaining movie from DreamWorks Animation: the same studio that brought us Shrek and Puss in Boots. How do I know this, you might ask? Well, find out below:
Universal Pictures and DreamWorks Animation are proud to announce their upcoming film Forgotten Island with a brand new trailer. Said trailer also reveals that we’ll get to see this magical not-yuri movie in NA theaters on September 25, 2026. Now as for that trailer? Well, you can watch it either on YouTube, or just look below for that and the official synopsis to give you all an idea of what this movie is all about:
Official Trailer and Synopsis
Your best friendship is worth fighting for.
DreamWorks Animation, the studio that brought you unforgettable bonds between a boy and a dragon in How to Train Your Dragon, an ogre and a donkey in Shrek, and a robot and a gosling in The Wild Robot, now welcomes a dazzling and emotional story about two lifelong best friends who must come together before they drift apart in Forgotten Island.
The new original film is written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and is produced by Academy Award® nominee Mark Swift, the filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Grammy and Academy Award® winning supernova H.E.R. and Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein, Alone/Together) star as high school graduates Jo and Raissa, who have been best friends since grade school but are now about to embark on separate life paths.
While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families.
Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww (Dave Franco) and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal (Tony winning icon Lea Salonga), the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
The film’s all-star voice cast also includes Emmy nominee Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Dying for Sex), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Top Gun: Maverick), BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness, Ghostlight), global comedy superstar Jo Koy (Haunted Mansion, Jo Koy: Live from Brooklyn) and Emmy winner Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, M3GAN).
DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island is distributed by Universal Pictures.
Forgotten Island Subtly Promises Yuri, But Will It Deliver?
I’m on the fence about Forgotten Island. On one hand, I love the comedy in the trailer, complete with anime-style face changes just purely for the comedy. I also love the relationship Jo and Raissa have in that trailer as they partied away their last night together on that beach, right before getting sucked into a magical island. The Filipino mythology setting of that island is also something that makes this movie’s setting stand out among the crowd.
On the other hand, the trailer and promotional materials are absolutely insistent that Forgotten Island isn’t a romantic comedy story. Jo and Raissa are “best friends” and completely platonic, according to all of that. I swear, if they’d been of different genders, this would totally 100% be a romantic comedy, but purely because they’re the same gender, they’re insistent that it’s not romance. It all feels a bit sus to me, and I really hope that the story owns up to the yuri and actually lets Jo and Raissa be yuri.
What do you all think? Are you too hoping that Forgotten Island becomes a yuri story? Tell us your magical island thoughts in the comments section below.
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