By George & Josh Bate
As is customary at every CinemaCon, a major studio screened an entire film to press and exhibitors months ahead of its scheduled release to the public. This year, Universal Pictures and Dreamworks treated CinemaCon attendees with a world exclusive screening of Forgotten Island, an upcomiing animated adventure movie from Puss and Boots: The Last Wish filmmakers Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado.
Forgotten Island takes place in 1990s Phillippines and follows childhood friends Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano). Growing up, the two were fascinated with stories of the forgotten island of Nakali and committed to one day finding a way to the fantastical world that Jo’s grandmother once visited. Having grown up together and promised to remain close forever, the friends find themselves at a crossroads when Raissa prepares to move to the United States to attend university. Suddenly, they are transported to the island they’ve long been drawn to, but they cannot make their way back home, disrupting Raissa’s plans to move. Unsure of what transpired during their first night on the island and unable to find the device that will grant them passage back home, the two embark on an adventure that sees them team up with locals and put their memories of one another in jeopardy.
In our social media reaction, we called Forgotten Island “a beautiful, touching film about the enduring power of friendship and how memories make us who we are.”
Entertainment reporter Jonathan Sim described the movie as “The Hangover for families.”
Corndair, meanwhile, predicted the film “might hit big as a ‘weird kid’ favorite” when it arrives in theaters this September. Veteran reporter Scott Menzel believes the film will be in “the Academy’s Best Animated Feature conversation next year.”
Check out a full round-up of social media reactions to Forgotten Island, beginning with ours at The HoloFiles, below.