‘Forgotten Island’: H.E.R., Liza Soberano proud to showcase Filipino culture

LOS ANGELES – “For me, it was super exciting because it’s been a long-time dream of mine to be in a project that represented the Philippines in a very accurate way, but at the same time is universal enough for people outside of the Philippines to relate to.”

That was actress Liza Soberano talking at the trailer launch event of DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island,” which features the biggest voice cast of Filipino actors assembled in a Hollywood film.

Liza and H.E.R. voice the lead characters, Raissa and Jo, respectively, with top talents Lea Salonga, Dolly de Leon, Manny Jacinto, Jo Koy and Amielynn Abrera also in the cast.

And we heard the voice cast may have more Fil-Am actors, but the complete list has not yet been released.

Liza added, “Aside from that, just to have Filipino culture displayed or showcased by a major studio is very exciting because we don’t really get that often. So, it meant a lot to me. I was very excited and honored to be part of this project.”

H.E.R. (right) and Liza Soberano | Photo from Dreamworks

Celebrating AAPI talent

Also a cause for celebrating AAPI talent and diversity in cinema in the recent event at the sprawling DreamWorks campus in Glendale, California, was the milestone that “Forgotten Island” marks the directing debut of Fil-Am Januel Mercado. Januel directs the original film with Joel Crawford, with whom he co-directed “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” He worked as head of story on “The Croods: A New Age,” which Joel directed.

Fil-Am Nathan Matthew David, whose credits include “Tenet,” “Joy Ride” and “The Mandalorian,” is the film’s composer.

In the trailer and footage that were shown to us in the Campanile Theater, there was a lot to be excited about.

“Forgotten Island,” also written by Joel and Januel, is set in the Philippines and is inspired by Filipino folklore. But more than anything, the animated feature celebrates the universal theme of friendship.

Jo and Raissa, very close pals since grade school, are at a crossroads in their friendship as they graduate from high school. Sitting on the hood of a discarded jeepney to celebrate what is supposed to be their last night together, the two buddies discover a fantastical portal that takes them to Nakali Island, where they encounter magical and mythological creatures they only heard about from their Filipino families.

The animated feature, set in the 1990s, also stars Ronny Chieng, Dave Franco and Jenny Slate.

 

 

 

 

 

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Joel Crawford, H.E.R., Liza Soberano and Januel Mercado. Photo from DreamWorks

H.E.R., Liza, Joe and Januel participated in a Q&A panel before the media at the Campanile.

Filipina mother from Nueva Ecija

The multi-hyphenated performer, whose nickname is Gabi (her full real name is Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson), born in Vallejo, California, to a Filipina mother from Nueva Ecija and a Black father, enthused about the script when she first read it.

“Oh, my gosh, I was so excited,” she said. “Like, you have no idea. We were in the Philippines in 2019, and my mom was literally trying to scare us, talking about manananggal and all these other stories.” (Lea plays The Dreaded Manananggal.)

“I grew up on them. So I just thought it was so cool. I get to share a piece of my childhood with the world in this work. That’s super rewarding to me.”

On the trailer and footage that are crammed with Filipino symbols, including the iconic sun rays in the Philippine flag, Liza remarked, “The first time I saw it, I literally cried because I was just like imagining all the children in the Philippines and what they would feel when they see it, and just how proud they would feel to see something that beautiful representing our culture and country on the big screen.”

Filipino father from Pangasinan

Liza, also born in California (Santa Clara) to a Filipino father from Pangasinan and an American mother, continued, “It just felt like such a big moment. I’m really excited for all the kids to see it.”

H.E.R., an Oscar Best Song winner for “Fight for You” from “Judas and the Black Messiah” and a multiple Grammy winner, pointed out, “Filipinos are very proud to be Filipino. We haven’t gotten many big platforms to show our culture. People have always asked me, and I’m from the Bay Area, so I grew up around a lot of Filipinos.

“But as soon as I left, like I moved to New York and I went around the world, there aren’t that many people who know about what we’re about. Some also don’t realize how similar we are to other cultures in our values, like family and friendship.

‘Very emotional and special’

“And so to see the sun (in ‘Forgotten Island’), which is such a big deal, like it’s a big symbol for us, it does something different to see it in a film. Like, we see it when we see some of our Filipino heroes, but to see it in a film, for kids, it just hits different. And it’s definitely very emotional and special.”

Photo from Dreamworks

We learned that H.E.R. and Liza recorded their voices together in one booth, unusual for an animated film because voice talents generally work solo, often in different parts of the world. Many voice actors don’t even meet their costars until the premieres.

Liza, who earned good reviews in director Zelda Williams and writer Diablo Cody’s “Lisa Frankenstein,” said, “Recording with Gabi was really fun because apparently, it’s a rare occurrence. You don’t always get to record in the same booth together (in an animated film). So that was a really cool experience.

“And it actually did draw something special out in those scenes, because we actually got to react to each other in real time. And so that was very fun. I wish we had more recording sessions. I lost my voice once because I went all out.”

‘A lot like their characters in real life’

Joel and Januel cited the benefit of having both actresses act together in one booth. Joel cited, “The gift of you both, recording together and feeding off each other’s performances, has made its way into every frame of this movie. And just to say, they’re a lot like their characters in real life.

“I hope it’s okay to share this, but Raissa is a very pragmatic and organized character. And Jo is very kind of like a wild card, kind of winging it. A free spirit.

“The way Gabi and Liza are in the recording booth, we have our pages like the sides that are in front of them. And we’ll go over to this scene. Every time, Liza would neatly take the paper clip off and put the papers to the side and then restack them.”

With a grin, Joel asked, “Gabi, what’s your style?”

H.E.R. replied with a laugh, “Freestyle (demonstrates throwing away the pages). I’m just kind of like, what scene is this in?

Joel commented, “Because of the roles of Jo and Raissa, it’s a really expansive journey. These two characters go on, and it’s sweet, gets ridiculous and absurd. There’s so much comedy.”

‘Real-life rapport’

“Like in a real friendship,” remarked Januel, whose real-life rapport with Joel fuels their collaboration (more about their bond below).

“Yeah, just being silly together,” Joel continued about the two lead actresses. “And then there are some big, vulnerable, dramatic moments, and the way you both are so able to pivot between comedy and drama. I remember Liza saying, I have a problem getting angry. I was like, do some push-ups.

“But honestly, you two just brought so much of yourselves to these roles, and it’s such a blessing.”

Januel shared, “I remember the first recording together. It’s so charming, and we were just floored like, man, they really are like their characters, their charisma and warmth. And I noticed this one kind of exchange with these two.

“You two are looking like dope in your own style. Liza is in like a blazer. And, Gabi, you had a cool, tie-dyed hoodie and stuff. This is what’s beautiful about you guys. It feels like you support each other.

“I remember, Liza, you were like (to H.E.R.), oh, man, you’re so cool. Gabi, I look like I’m your mom. And Gabi was like, not even. She was like, that’s because I dress like I’m five years old. It’s so quick and beautiful, though, the way that you guys talk to each other, support each other, and make each other laugh, make us laugh. We’re very blessed.”

‘So grateful to be here’

“It was the best part of my day, to be honest,” H.E.R. chimed in. “This is not work. Like, I can’t believe I’m here. I’m so grateful to be here. I can’t believe I got to work with you guys, but this was easy. It was fun.

“And they pushed me to jump up and down, scream, and do all of these crazy things. I just felt like a big kid. These are the best guys to work with. And of course, you (to Liza) are amazing, and I feel like we are so much like our characters.

“It was so natural. It didn’t feel like we were really acting, to be honest. So, it made it easy and you guys (to Joel and Januel) just made it so much fun.”

Liza added, “Every day, it just felt like it was too short. Like the amount of time that we were recording because I would always love to push myself because I take time to warm up.

Photo from Dreamworks

“I feel like these sessions, four hours, never feel enough because it does genuinely feel like we’re just playing. Joel and Januel are so much fun to work with and riff off of because they’re just like big kids at heart. Like they’ve been young forever, right?

“So, it just feels like make believe, And getting to record with Gabi was really special.”

Asked which character the directors identify with, Januel quickly replied for both of them, “We’re both Jo.”

Joel recalled when H.E.R. and Liza were cast: “Gabi, it was interesting when you finally came in, for the character of Jo. And you remember when you saw the picture of Jo?”

“Oh, my gosh, yes,” the singer-actress answered. “She was exactly as I pictured her. Like, no kidding. It was literally dead on what I imagined her to be.”

Joel said, “It was. Januel and I were having that experience of these characters with whom we were living in our heads. They need to feel real. Everybody should see themselves or someone they know in them.

“And then, Liza, when you came in for your audition, you floored us right away with your performance and authenticity. I remember talking to you about how these are incredibly complex characters. You have Raissa. She has an exciting future, and she has a friend she loves, but she is pulling her away from that. And I remember you were able to identify with that situation.”

From Manila to Hollywood

Liza, a successful actress in Manila who made the bold move to try her luck in Hollywood, revealed, “I was actually going through that at the time when I had auditioned. That was when I just left the Philippines and moved to LA. So I was going through a lot of that, not only with my friendships, but with my family, and the career I had back home.

“So yeah, Raissa really resonated with me. That’s why I was able to tap on the emotional side of things so easily. Because I was going through it.”

Bromance

The two directors, in reminiscing about how the idea for “Forgotten Island” began, also touched on their bromance, which is refreshing to hear in Hollywood, where a genuine bond is something to be cherished.

The buddies even wore the same sneakers at the event. “We don’t shop together, but I did buy these shoes for Joel and for myself,” Januel remarked with a laugh. “I was like, hey, I found these cool J’s (Air Jordans) that look like our Nicoli color treatment. I was like, we should have matching J’s for this journey.”

Joel said, “And it was the best birthday present.”

On their journey toward making “Forgotten Island,” Joel began, “Five years ago, Januel and I were finishing up the last two movies, ‘The Croods: A New Age’ and ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.’ And we were like, what are we going to do next? What are we going to tell?

“And this day has got me in the feels. To have such a great friend for so many years, who, together, we came up with a story that we have to share with the world. And today, this is the beginning of that.”

‘Amazing journey’

Januel said, “And just to echo the sentiment, we’re here to kick this off. I’m pretty emotional because it’s been an amazing journey. And this journey is continuing.

“And we’re so excited for you guys to experience that and share all this concentrated effort, love, and craftsmanship in a story that is personal to both of us.”

Joel said, “And, a big inspiration for me in this movie is my wife, Kathy, who’s here today as well.

“My wife is one of the people who has been through so much and brings so much joy. We wanted to bring that into this script. And Januel, you’ve pulled from a lot of inspirations as well.”

Inquirer’s Ruben Nepales (center) with H.E.R. (right) and Liza Soberano | CONTRIBUTED

Januel replied, “And again, like I mentioned, my sister Jo, who inspired the character of Jo, played by H.E.R. Not only Jo, but my mom, grandma, nieces, and cousins, with whom I grew up.

Powerful women

“Jo and Raissa are a culmination of these powerful women in our family who helped shaped us. But the amazing thing is, Joe and I could talk in detail about the experience of our families, but there was like a trust that we didn’t even have to tell you (to H.E.R. and Liza) about my sister or Joe’s wife, because I knew that you would connect, just being powerful women yourselves and being warm personalities.”

Januel stressed, “So without them, without our family and the strong women in our family, this movie would not exist. And I wanted to shout out that up top.”

“There’s so much comedy, so much action adventure,” Joel emphasized. “But the beating heart of this movie is about a friendship. It’s about two lifelong friends who have grown up together and the stakes of possibly growing apart. And that’s something that we are so proud of, in terms of the intro to the world, it is in this trailer.”

“It’s dear to our hearts because the story is set in the Philippines,” Januel cited. “But as Joel was saying, we feel like this theme of friendship is a very specific thing that we’ve all experienced, but it’s a universal thing that we all relate to.”

Joel recalled how he and Januel began working together. “There are multiple personal ingredients in this story. One of them being, like we mentioned, we’ve been friends for almost two decades here at DreamWorks. We started together on ‘Kung Fu Panda 2.’

“I’m going to embarrass Januel for a second here. We were storyboard artists, and we were put together in the same office. It was one of those things where Januel has this superpower, which. He has this ability to make everybody feel safe and seen.

“I found so quickly a kindred spirit in my stupid humor, in my movie references, and more than anything, a great friend who made me feel like I could be myself around him. And that, honestly, is a gem that he has gifted me for almost two decades. And when given the opportunity to tell an original story, I was like, friendship, man. It’s got to be about that.”

To research for the film, the directors went to the Philippines. Januel shared, “We took this trip for the reason that the setting is in the Philippines and having the crew come with us to experience the culture that Joel and I grew up with, with me being Filipino American, my family. Joel, your wife, Kathy being Filipina, your kids being Filipina.

“And we wanted to take the crew, producer Mark Swift, production designer Ryan Carlson, and technical director Chris Grun, because we want them to experience firsthand the beautiful world and culture of the Philippines. So that was one angle.

Personal connection

“And the other angle is that personal connection. My dad passed away a few years ago from pancreatic cancer. When Joel and I were writing this, my dad was sick, and I was at home with my dad. I remember I was showing my dad early ideas and having him help me with Tagalog.

“He was like (in Tagalog accent), ‘That’s not right, Januel.’ But the idea of going back to the Philippines, where I’ve spent time with my family. My mom and dad always took my sister and me. We hadn’t been back since dad passed away.”

Januel, who was born in Stockton, California, to Filipino parents, continued, “And that was also an important thing to go there, to reconnect. We had a big family reunion, and it was also very emotional for my family over there, because we didn’t even see each other when dad passed away. So we got to not only celebrate this movie that we’re making, but also celebrate my dad.

“Then to have Joel, his wife, and family and the crew be there with our family and celebrate together and be welcomed by my family again, that continued to inspire the beating heart of this movie, which is making memories with the ones you love and solidifying those connections.

Filipina wife

Joel, also a native Californian from Long Beach, pointed out, “As Januel mentioned, my wife is Filipina. She was born in the Philippines and lived there till she was nine. And she actually hadn’t been back until this research trip. And, it’s a wonderful thing.

“Januel and all his family out there in the Philippines threw a big block party for us. There’s lots of karaoke, lots of food. And, it was so nice. They invited my wife’s family from another town to come to this party.

“All the inspiration from the research trip of seeing the beautiful locations in the Philippines was wonderful. But it was the spirit of what that trip was that stuck with us. Seeing my wife reunited with family that she hadn’t seen in over 30 years was so impactful. That’s a big thing that stuck with us – memories and those moments we make.”

In their introductions to the footage that was screened to the press, H.E.R. and Liza offered additional details on their characters. H.E.R., who made her major screen acting debut in Blitz Bazawule’s “The Color Purple,” explained, “So after Raissa’s big graduation party moment, my character Jo talks her into hanging out one last time before Raissa has to leave for America.”

Liza said, “And it’s a very bittersweet moment for Raissa. Well, for both of them, actually, because Raissa has a Caltech scholarship waiting for her.”

“Which means she has to leave her best friend behind,” H.E.R. said.

Liza added, “And they spent most of their childhood looking for this elusive portal key to Nakali (Mutan), the forgotten island.”

Tagalog words

The two actresses enthused about delivering some Tagalog words, including “Tayo na,” in the film. “Being able to speak Tagalog in the movie, that’s so cool,” H.E.R. admitted. “I actually put ‘Tayo na’ on my nails today in honor of the film. It’s usually something my mom would say to me when I was taking too long to get ready for school. Tayo na!”

She flashed her manicured nails painted with the words, “Tayo na.”

Liza explained, “It means, let’s go. But it also means, like, let us go together. It doesn’t imply like, come on, just go. It means we have to go there together.

“I felt so proud being able to speak in my mother language. It’s fun because I moved to LA from the Philippines two years ago. And so I’ve been speaking a lot of English. It was refreshing to speak in Tagalog through this film.”

Liza Soberano, Alyssa Rafael, H.E.R. and AJ Rafael | Photo from Ruben V. Nepales

“Without getting into each of the specific characters, because the trailer is just a tease,” Joel began. “Each of them continued to bring so much of themselves.

“Dolly has been so special to work with. We actually met her during ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.’ There’s something so special, so real about her that we knew exactly the part we needed for her in this.

Filipino mythology

“And it’s one of those things that when we were recording with her – this story takes place with Filipino mythology – and Dolly’s connection to Filipino mythology, to the stories of kapre, aswang. Like, what if there was something where it just felt like it was fate? It was like we could not have written this part for a more perfect person.”

Januel shared, “Dolly was like, ‘Actually, I believe in these things. Aswangs are real. Like we all have stories.’ ”

“And Manny has just been such a joy to work with,” Joel said. “He’s so cool, but he can also be so silly. He went with us to create a really funny character.”

“For someone so pogi (handsome), he’s very humble,” Januel added. “Down to earth.”

Jo Koy

On Jo Koy, Joel commented, “Jo Koy’s thing is, at his shows, he says mahal kita (I love you). He is love. When he sees you, he gives you a big old hug. He’s been so excited and supportive of this movie, and it’s been a joy to have him.”

Januel added with a laugh, “And in true Filipino fashion, of course, he brings us a bunch of merch and swag. I was joking, like, do you have a balikbayan box? Yeah, pretty much full of sweaters and shirts. And he gave them to us and our family.”

With great singers Lea and H.E.R. and Nathan Matthew David as the composer, I asked if the two Pinays would perhaps sing the theme song.

“There is no shortage of musical talent when you have a Filipino cast,” Joel could only comment with an enigmatic smile.

Januel, also breaking into a beguiling grin, said, “The movie is not a musical, but it is musically driven, or music does play a big part in the storytelling. Unfortunately, we can’t get too specific about the music right now, but we can say that some exciting things are in the works, and we’ll be sharing more as the year progresses.”

I sensed an exciting musical announcement is coming. But could the presence of singer-songwriter AJ Rafael and his wife, Alyssa Navarro-Rafael, at the event mean something?

“Forgotten Island” will be released on Sept. 26.  I can’t wait to watch the completed movie.