Crawford and Mercado will take the stage together in Turin to talk through the film's creative journey and share behind-the-scenes insights from production.

Forgotten Island follows Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), who stumble into a portal that pulls them into Nakali, an island filled with creatures pulled from Filipino folklore. Joined by the weredog Raww (Dave Franco), the pair have to find their way home before losing every memory of their friendship, all while facing off against the island's most feared figure, the Manananggal (Lea Salonga). The film also stars Jenny Slate and Manny Jacinto, and hits theaters on September 25, 2026.

Crawford previously directed Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, which picked up Oscar, BAFTA, and Golden Globe nominations and crossed nearly half a billion dollars at the box office. Mercado co-directed that same film and is stepping into his directorial debut with Forgotten Island, after years as a story artist and head of story on titles including Kung Fu Panda, The Croods: A New Age, and Trolls.

VIEW Conference 2026 runs October 12–16 in Turin, Italy, bringing together animation, VFX, games, and AI professionals for a week of talks, panels, and masterclasses. Registration is open now through the official VIEW Conference website.