Universal Pictures has officially scheduled Forgotten Island, the newest original animated film from DreamWorks Animation, for theatrical release on September 25, 2026.
The film is being written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, reuniting the creative duo behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. While plot details are still under wraps, Forgotten Island is described as a broad, comedic adventure set on a long-lost, magical island inspired by Philippine mythology.
This marks Mercado’s first full solo directing credit. Previously, he served as co-director on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and worked as head of story on Crawford’s The Croods: A New Age. Crawford, known for pushing visual boundaries, brought a painterly, stylized look to Puss in Boots, incorporating 2D artistic influences into a 3D animation environment. Speaking to Variety, he explained, "You can see the brushstrokes and it looks as if you’re in a moving painting."
Forgotten Island continues a strong run for DreamWorks Animation, which recently released The Wild Robot — a film that earned three Academy Award nominations, including Best Sound, and won nine Annie Awards. Up next for the studio are The Bad Guys 2 and a highly anticipated live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon, set for release later this year.
Universal confirmed during its CinemaCon presentation that a sequel to the live-action How to Train Your Dragon is already in development, with a 2027 release date, reinforcing the studio’s confidence in its upcoming slate.
