‘Forgotten Island’ Deserves the ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Treatment

About a month remains until the release of the next film from DreamWorks Animation, Forgotten Island. The film is directed by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford, and stars H.E.R. and Liza Soberano as two lifelong friends who, on the eve of being separated by an ocean, find themselves transported to a mysterious island they were raised hearing stories about. They must find their ways back, and within a time crunch too, before they lose their memories of each other forever.

Forgotten Island is the first Hollywood-produced animated feature film set in the Philippines. With a story incorporating the unique aspects of both Filipino culture and folklore, and starring a predominantly Filipino and Filipino American cast, it’s a film destined to have the community excited and rallying for it.

Just so we’re clear up front, I have not yet seen the film in its entirety. While yes, there have been early screenings of it at CinemaCon and recently at San Diego Comic-Con, all I’ve seen of it are the trailers and the clips that were shown during its panel at the latter.

However, as the film arrives just over a year following the explosive emergence of Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters, it is of my utmost strongest belief that Forgotten Island is deserving of the treatment the former has gotten. Here’s why:

Forgotten Island is Having a Theatrical Release

This already is a major distinguishing factor from KPop Demon Hunters, in that this film will be released the way a lot of films should be experienced: exclusively in theaters. While yes, KPop Demon Hunters has been shown in theaters, it’s only been exclusive to special events, for very limited times, in limited theaters, and just enough to be eligible for its win as Best Animated Feature at this year’s Academy Awards. But otherwise, it did not receive a theatrical run.

Aside from the history in the making on the Filipino representation side of things, this is significant from an animation side too. Just from the clips I saw at the Forgotten Island panel, it really makes a difference to see the artistry be on full display on a big screen, basking in the colors, sounds, and story brought to life. That needs to be acknowledged and celebrated, especially when — at least in the West — animation is still, for some reason, not treated as respectfully as live-action.

The Soundtrack is Stacked

While KPop Demon Hunters is very much a musical, that’s not to say that Forgotten Island isn’t without a tune or two for one to sing their heart out to. The lineup for the soundtrack is stacked with Filipino and Filipino American talent; ranging from BINI, SB19, Sophia Laforteza of Katseye, and even some of the film’s stars like H.E.R., Soberano, and soon-to-be Hollywood Walk of Fame inductee, Lea Salonga. Their reputations precede them in the music industry, and BINI’s single, “A Parallel World,” which was released last month (and whom I had interviewed them about), already makes for a catchy song that touches on the film’s theme of friendship.

What makes the soundtrack even more special is that it incorporates both mainstream artists as well as independent artists, as Ruby Ibarra and Carl Angelo are part of the roster too — both of whom are making waves in the hip hop scene as Filipino American rappers. (Seriously, check out some of their works below if you’re not already familiar with them.)

Early Positive Reviews

Again, I have not seen the film in its entirety, but I have heard from those who already have, and their thoughts have all been extremely positive. Fellow Nerds of Color writer Mike Manalo previously reported how the film was received with rave reviews following its screening at CinemaCon, and it wasn’t even the final cut that was shown. In fact, when it was shown at the Annecy Film Festival back in June, it received a five-minute standing ovation. For a film that, as Mercado said on the Comic-Con panel, was made with a lot of love, it only makes sense for the essence of the energy poured into the film by everyone working on it to shine through in the overall quality.

This is currently all hearsay, as no reviews have been officially released yet for this title. However, when even BINI is saying that it will make you cry, the expectation is that there’s something really special on the horizon.

Besides, both Forgotten Island and KPop Demon Hunters center around female friendships — a dynamic that, for whatever reason, is an uncommon one to take center stage in films, whether animated or otherwise.

Hype Up for Filipino/Filipino American Representation

It’s been mentioned sporadically already, but this is a point that really needs its own explanation. In the time we’re in, I feel that the general public mainly knows of Filipino culture through the food (mainly lumpia, ube, and Jollibee) and Manny Pacquiao. It’s a very surface-level look at both a culture and a diaspora that’s rich and diverse with history and stories. The fact that it took until now for a Hollywood animated film to be made centered on it is quite astounding, yet all the more special that it’s happening at all.

I say this both to the general public and to the Asian American community at large, where efforts towards continuously bringing our stories to the media landscape are still largely East Asian-focused, with KPop Demon Hunters being an example of such. That’s not to say it hasn’t gotten better, but to have the support of the Asian American community for Filipino representation specifically still has a tendency to be hit or miss.

It was evident when Disney’s Southeast Asian-centric animated film, Raya and the Last Dragon, had a predominantly East Asian voice cast, and not one of them seemed to think, Should I really be playing this role? The same pattern shows up elsewhere, like how in its 23-year history, the Unforgettable Gala — an event dedicated to celebrating Asian American media representation — never had a Filipino American host until 2022 with Eugene Cordero.

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve seen a film marketed with #GoldOpen. Would it be too bold to suggest to Gold House that we bring that back for this one, to nudge Asian America to acknowledge the brown Asians when in the spotlight?

Forgotten Island is set to be a high point for film this year. For all that it represents on the animation front, the music front, the blood, sweat, and tears poured into the production, and as far as Filipino American and Asian American representation goes, it is worth and owed the hype that KPop Demon Hunters has gotten.

Tayo na!