“Forgotten Island” has made Philippine box-office history, earning ₱97,236,533 during its opening weekend as a Hollywood animated film steeped in Filipino mythology and powered by Filipino talent drew moviegoers nationwide.
Figures released by Universal Pictures PH show the DreamWorks Animation film scored Universal’s biggest opening in the country in 2026. It also recorded the biggest Philippine opening ever for a DreamWorks film and a non-franchise animated movie.
The film follows best friends Raissa and Jo, voiced by Liza Soberano and Grammy and Academy Award winner HER, who enter Nakali, a mysterious island populated by creatures inspired by Philippine folklore. Their journey becomes a race home when their memories of each other begin disappearing.
Filipino culture runs throughout the production. Lea Salonga voices the Dreaded Manananggal, while Dolly de Leon, Manny Jacinto and Jo Koy join the Filipino and Filipino-American ensemble. The story also incorporates Filipino family traditions, food and karaoke, while BINI_ph and SB19 Official are among the Filipino acts featured on its soundtrack.
Joel Crawford and Filipino-American filmmaker Januel Mercado wrote and directed the movie after previously working together on “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.”
The record follows strong critical reception. “Forgotten Island” initially debuted with a perfect 100% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes before settling at 95% as more reviews came in. Its verified audience score stood at 96%.
The film had a weaker opening in North America, where it earned an estimated US$12.8 million and placed fifth for the weekend. Its worldwide opening reached about US$20.6 million against a reported production budget of about US$80 million.
“Forgotten Island” is now showing in Philippine cinemas nationwide.
