DreamWorks film highlights Filipino folklore in 'Forgotten Island'
Sep 25, 2026
New York [US], September 25: Oscar-winning R&B singer Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, professionally known as H.E.R., transported back to the Filipino folktales her mother used to tell her while discussing DreamWorks' upcoming animated film "Forgotten Island," which arrives in theaters on Friday.
The Black and Filipino American singer, who voices one of the movie's lead characters, told Reuters that her mother often focused on the fearsome Manananggal, a creature from Filipino folklore known for splitting its body in two.
"When I was a kid, that was the one that my mom would always tell," she said. "She'd be like, 'The Manananggal is gonna get you!' We went to the Philippines, and I saw the bats, and she'd be like, 'Look, it's the Manananggal!'"
The Manananggal is one of many mythological creatures featured in "Forgotten Island," which is co-directed by Januel Mercado and Joel Crawford and the first major Hollywood feature-length animated film inspired by Filipino culture and mythology.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
