\u201cForgotten Island\u201d is a big bet for Glendale-based DreamWorks Animation, which like many studios, has largely depended on sequels to drive box office success.<\/p>\n
Original animated stories \u2014 or original movies at all \u2014 have become rarer gambles in Hollywood these days, when sequels and reboots feel like safer options. But Crawford and Mercado knew they wanted to develop a new story together.<\/p>\n
The pair, who wrote and directed the film, have been friends for nearly two decades after they met at DreamWorks Animation as storyboard artists. Together, they\u2019ve worked on 2011\u2019s \u201cKung Fu Panda 2,\u201d 2013\u2019s \u201cThe Croods\u201d and 2022\u2019s \u201cPuss in Boots: The Final Wish.\u201d The two bonded over their similar sense of humor and their love for movies, and their longtime friendship was apparent in their easy banter during a joint interview shortly after the \u201cForgotten Island\u201d premiere last month.<\/p>\n
Early on, Crawford and Mercado knew they wanted to tell a story set in the Philippines that celebrated Filipino culture. Mercado is Filipino American and Crawford\u2019s wife is Filipino, so a movie that authentically represented Filipino culture was important to them. In the film, the island of Nakali has many creatures inspired by Filipino folklore, and the characters casually use Tagalog words alongside English.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a sophistication in terms of respecting that the audience is smart, and doing our part as filmmakers to make sure that the visual storytelling and the context gives everything the audience needs to know,\u201d Mercado told me.<\/p>\n
Audiences, too, are more comfortable with content in other languages these days, as I wrote last week about Neon\u2019s Korean-language thriller \u201cHope.\u201d<\/a> After all, kids will sing Korean lyrics in K-pop songs, and even \u201cPuss in Boots: The Final Wish\u201d interspersed Spanglish into the story.<\/p>\n \u201cIt feels timely to update the way we tell stories, to not treat the audience like, \u2018They won\u2019t understand this,\u2019 but really treat them with respect,\u201d Crawford said. \u201cIt just felt right to chase authenticity and let go of expectations, especially of what an animated movie should be and has been, and really do something fresh because it\u2019s just coming from who we are.\u201d<\/p>\n In the last few years, animation has been a powerhouse at the box office. Disney and Pixar\u2019s \u201cToy Story 5\u201d and Universal Pictures, Nintendo and Illumination\u2019s \u201cThe Super Mario Galaxy Movie\u201d have each crossed $1 billion at the global box office, two of only five movies to do so this year. In 2024, Disney and Pixar\u2019s \u201cInside Out 2\u201d was the highest grossing movie in the U.S. and Canadian markets.<\/p>\n Original stories have been tougher. Pixar has recently struggled to match the theatrical success of its prior original films and the slower start for \u201cForgotten Island\u201d may be a sign of similar hurdles for new stories. But culturally accurate storytelling has paid recent dividends \u2014 just look at the success of Netflix\u2019s \u201cKPop Demon Hunters,\u201d<\/a> which won two Oscars, broke streaming records and sold out theatrical singalongs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe that there is a platform and space for everyone\u2019s story, for people to feel seen and to know they matter,\u201d Mercado said. \u201cEven when they see a story that is specifically Filipino, if we\u2019ve done our job right, we\u2019ve shown you that you could connect to the story, whether or not you have this experience with the Filipino community or the culture.\u201d<\/p>\n With \u201cForgotten Island,\u201d Mercado and Crawford also want to push the boundaries of animation beyond its perception as films just for kids. Later this year, films such as Laika\u2019s PG-13 rated \u201cWildwood\u201d and Brad Bird\u2019s noir film \u201cRay Gunn\u201d will test the audience appetite for more adult animated and original fare. <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re in a time of massive sequels,\u201d Crawford said of stories today. \u201cWhen you expand where you\u2019re telling them and who is telling them, you naturally get originality. This year has been really exciting for original stories in both animation and live action. You are taking a chance on originality, but it pays off.\u201d<\/p>\n Stuff We WroteFilm shoots Number of the week ![\"eight](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1791306492_489_.png\")
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