Forgotten Island Box Office: DreamWorks’ New Movie Makes a Major Opening in the Philippines

DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island has arrived in theaters with a box-office story that is already attracting attention, especially in the Philippines.

The animated adventure opened in North America on September 25, 2026, after earlier releases in several international markets. While its domestic debut was relatively modest, the movie delivered a major opening in the Philippines, where its connection to Filipino mythology, culture and talent helped turn the film into a significant local event.

Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, Forgotten Island is an original DreamWorks Animation movie rather than another installment in an established franchise. The film follows two lifelong friends who find themselves trapped in a mysterious fantasy world where their memories become the key to getting home.

Forgotten Island Opens Strongly in the Philippines

One of the biggest stories surrounding Forgotten Island is its performance in the Philippines.

According to reports, the movie earned approximately PHP 97.2 million during its opening weekend in the country. That performance made it the biggest opening weekend for Universal Pictures Philippines in 2026 and was also reported as the biggest opening for a non-franchise animated film in the country's box-office history.

The result is especially notable because Forgotten Island is an original property. Unlike movies based on established franchises, it did not arrive with decades of existing characters or a built-in cinematic universe.

Instead, DreamWorks placed Filipino culture and mythology at the heart of the story.

The film's Filipino connections include its setting, mythology and voice cast, giving audiences in the Philippines an unusually direct connection to a major Hollywood animated production.

How Much Did Forgotten Island Make Worldwide?

The worldwide numbers tell a more complicated story.

Box Office Mojo currently lists Forgotten Island at approximately $20.76 million worldwide, including about $13.01 million domestically and $7.76 million internationally. Its reported domestic opening is approximately $13 million.

The movie opened across more than 3,500 theaters in the United States, with its domestic debut landing in fifth place for the September 25–27 weekend according to Box Office Mojo's reported figures.

That means the film's biggest early box-office headline is not necessarily its North American debut, but the unusually strong reception it received in the Philippines.

The contrast makes Forgotten Island an interesting case for an original animated movie: its cultural identity appears to have played a particularly important role in connecting with audiences in one of its key international markets.

What Is Forgotten Island About?

The movie centers on Jo and Raissa, two best friends who have known each other since childhood.

As they prepare to begin separate paths after high school, the two discover a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali.

The island is populated by creatures and legends inspired by Filipino mythology. What initially appears to be an extraordinary adventure becomes much more personal when Jo and Raissa discover the price of returning home.

Their shared memories are at stake.

If they want to escape the island, they may have to sacrifice the memories of their friendship — creating an emotional conflict at the center of the fantasy adventure.

That friendship-focused story also gives the movie a theme that extends beyond its mythology and visual spectacle.

A DreamWorks Movie Built Around Filipino Folklore

One of the most distinctive elements of Forgotten Island is its use of Filipino folklore.

The story features legendary creatures including the Manananggal, one of the best-known supernatural figures in Filipino mythology. The movie combines these traditional influences with a colorful animated world designed for a contemporary global audience.

The filmmakers have described the project as being deeply influenced by Filipino culture and personal experiences.

That cultural foundation also extends to the cast and soundtrack, making the movie more than a conventional fantasy adventure.

For DreamWorks, Forgotten Island represents a major original animated release built around a culture that has rarely been placed at the center of a Hollywood animated feature on this scale.

H.E.R. and Liza Soberano Lead the Voice Cast

The movie features a prominent voice cast led by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, who voice Jo and Raissa respectively.

The cast also includes Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng and Lea Salonga. Salonga voices Manang, the feared Manananggal connected to the central mythology of the island.

The casting is another important part of the movie's Filipino identity.

H.E.R., who has Filipino heritage, has also spoken about hearing stories involving Filipino folklore from her family, adding another personal connection to the mythology featured in the movie.

Critics Have Responded Positively

While box-office performance and critical reception are separate measures, Forgotten Island has received positive reviews from critics.

The Associated Press described the film as a visually vibrant fantasy adventure that combines Filipino folklore with themes of friendship, memory and belonging.

Rotten Tomatoes also lists the movie with strong critic and audience scores, although those figures can change as more reviews and audience ratings are added.

This creates an unusual situation for the movie: the critical response has been encouraging, while its early commercial performance differs significantly between markets.

Why the Philippines Performance Matters

The success of Forgotten Island in the Philippines is important because original animated movies face a different challenge from major franchise releases.

A new film has to introduce its characters, world and concept to audiences from scratch.

Forgotten Island also takes a different approach by making Filipino mythology a central part of its identity rather than simply using it as background decoration.

The movie's strong Philippine opening suggests that this cultural connection resonated with local audiences.

At the same time, the film's worldwide box-office total is still developing, meaning its eventual theatrical performance will depend on how it holds in the coming weeks and how audiences respond across additional markets.

What Happens Next for Forgotten Island?

For now, Forgotten Island is still playing in theaters, giving DreamWorks time to build on its international performance.

The movie's early results demonstrate two different sides of its theatrical release. In the United States, its approximately $13 million opening was considerably smaller than the studio's biggest franchise launches. Internationally, however, the film has found an important success story in the Philippines, where it delivered a standout opening for Universal.

Its future box-office performance will ultimately depend on audience word of mouth, repeat viewings and how strongly it performs in additional international markets.

For an original animated movie, those next few weeks will be particularly important.

Final Thoughts

Forgotten Island may not have launched like one of DreamWorks Animation's established franchises, but its opening has already given the movie a notable box-office story.

Its PHP 97.2 million Philippine opening stands out as a major milestone, while its worldwide total continues to grow following its September 25 North American release.

More importantly, the film represents an ambitious attempt to bring Filipino folklore, characters and cultural influences to a worldwide animated audience.

Whether Forgotten Island can turn its strong Philippine debut and positive reviews into a bigger international theatrical run remains to be seen. But its early performance has certainly made the DreamWorks original one of the more interesting animated movies to watch at the box office right now.