What a week it has been for Filipino representation! Last Wednesday, we got our first glimpse of Dreamworks Animation’s Forgotten Island. On Friday, we unveiled our intimate interview with superstars H.E.R and Liza Soberano. And today, we’re continuing the streak with our conversation with the directors of Forgotten Island and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford!

While directing a film is hard, directing an animated feature is infinitely more complex! However, Mercado and Crawford can absolutely be attributed with completely changing the game for Dreamworks Animation, with their gorgeous approach to Puss in Boots: The Last Wish going on to evolve into the incredible styles we saw in The Wild Robot, and now Forgotten Island. Furthermore, their touching friendship as well as their experiences with Filipino culture (Mercado is Filipino American, while Crawford has a Filipino family of his own) have inspired a the first ever Hollywood animated feature centered on Filipino mythology and folklore.

Given that, we just had to dive in to learn more about what inspired them to craft this story of friendship and set it in The Philippines in the 1990s. What they had to share with us was positively charming and a truly fun experience where we discuss the influence of Filipino culture on Forgotten Island, as well as the greater universality behind the film’s themes. Take a look at what they had to say here:

Want more about Forgotten Island? Check out our interviews with H.E.R and Soberano, as well as our coverage of the trailer debut’s press conference from the Dreamworks Animation campus.

Forgotten Island hits theaters this Fall on September 25, 2026!