News & Events
Jollibee Joins DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island in a Celebration of Filipino Stories and Friendship
There is something special about seeing Filipino culture move beyond our shores, not merely as a background detail, but as part of a story meant for audiences around the world.
This September, Jollibee is joining DreamWorks Animation for the global theatrical release of Forgotten Island, an original animated film built around friendship, family, Filipino mythology, and the difficult reality of growing apart.
The film arrives in theaters on September 23, 2026, marking a global collaboration between two brands that, in very different ways, have become known for bringing families together.
A Filipino story on a global stage
At the centre of Forgotten Island are Jo and Raissa, lifelong best friends who are about to take different paths after high school.
During their final night together, they discover a mysterious portal leading them to Nakali, a fantastical island populated by magical and mythological creatures inspired by the stories they heard from their Filipino families.
But getting home comes with a painful price: they may have to surrender the memories of their friendship.
It is an interesting premise because beneath the fantasy is something very human. Friendships change. People grow up. Life takes us in different directions. And sometimes, the question is not simply whether we can remain together, but how much of each other we carry with us when our lives begin to change.
The Filipino connection also runs deep in the people behind the movie. Its cast and creative team include H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Lea Salonga, Jo Koy, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, and Filipino-American co-writer and co-director Januel Mercado.
For Filipino audiences, seeing creatures and stories rooted in our own mythology interpreted through a major DreamWorks production is itself worth watching.
And then there is BINI
The collaboration becomes even more Filipino with BINI, who are both Jollibee endorsers and contributors to the movie’s soundtrack.
The group recorded “A Parallel World,” an upbeat electronic-pop song combining English and Filipino lyrics. BINI also performed the song during the Forgotten Island panel at San Diego Comic-Con, giving Filipino pop culture another visible moment before an international audience.
What I find particularly interesting here is how several pieces of contemporary Filipino culture are beginning to meet on a much bigger stage.
You have Jollibee, perhaps one of the most recognisable Filipino consumer brands overseas. You have BINI representing the rise of Filipino pop music. You have internationally recognised Filipino and Filipino-American actors. And at the centre of everything is a story drawing inspiration from Filipino families and mythology.
That is quite a combination.
More than another brand partnership
Jollibee says the partnership reflects its long-standing idea of bringing people together through food.
And in this particular collaboration, that connection actually makes sense.
Some of our most ordinary Filipino memories happen around food: after school, after work, during birthdays, reunions, road trips, celebrations, or simply catching up with someone we have not seen for a long time.
The movie talks about preserving friendship. Jollibee talks about sharing meals. Somewhere between those two ideas is a very familiar Filipino experience.
Jollibee Philippines Vice President for Marketing Dorothy Ching described the partnership as particularly meaningful because Forgotten Island combines the universal themes of friendship and family with Filipino-inspired storytelling.
And perhaps that is what makes this collaboration worth paying attention to.
It is not simply about seeing a Filipino logo beside a Hollywood movie. It is another example of Filipino stories, artists, brands, music, and culture finding their way into global popular culture without having to hide where they came from.
Jollibee says additional parts of the collaboration, including an exclusive offer connected with the film, will still be announced.
For now, Forgotten Island gives us another opportunity to see something distinctly Filipino presented to the world.
And this time, we get to bring Chickenjoy along for the adventure.
About Jollibee
Jollibee is a global restaurant brand best known for its world-famous Chickenjoy fried chicken. It was voted No. 1 Best Fast Food Fried Chicken in the U.S. in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for three consecutive years and garnered multiple acclaims in various markets. It is the #1 QSR in the Philippines, Vietnam, and Brunei. Guided by its purpose to serve great-tasting food and bring the joy of eating to everyone, Jollibee continues to bring people together through joyful dining experiences across more than 1,800 stores in 16 countries. Jollibee is the flagship brand of Jollibee Group, one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world.
About DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island
Your best friendship is worth fighting for.
DreamWorks Animation, the studio that brought you unforgettable bonds between a boy and a dragon in How to Train Your Dragon, an ogre and a donkey in Shrek, and a robot and a gosling in The Wild Robot, now welcomes a dazzling and emotional story about two lifelong best friends who must come together before they drift apart in Forgotten Island.
The new original film is written and directed by Academy Award® nominee Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and is produced by Academy Award® nominee Mark Swift, the filmmaking team behind Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Grammy and Academy Award® winning supernova H.E.R. and Liza Soberano (Lisa Frankenstein, Alone/Together) star as high school graduates Jo and Raissa, who have been best friends since grade school but are now about to embark on separate life paths.
While celebrating their last night together, Jo and Raissa stumble upon a mysterious portal that transports them to the fantastical island of Nakali, packed with magical and mythological creatures they grew up hearing stories about from their Filipino families.
Some of these figures will become friends, some foes. Joined by well-meaning-but- hapless weredog Raww (Dave Franco) and a small-but-mighty pack of pals, Jo and Raissa must face The Dreaded Manananggal (Tony winning icon Lea Salonga), the most feared creature on the island. When they discover that the memories of their entire friendship are the price for returning home, Jo and Raissa will race to find a way to leave the island before they forget each other forever.
The film’s all-star voice cast also includes Emmy nominee Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Dying for Sex), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, Top Gun: Maverick), BAFTA nominee Dolly de Leon (Triangle of Sadness, Ghostlight), global comedy superstar Jo Koy (Haunted Mansion, Jo Koy: Live from Brooklyn) and Emmy winner Ronny Chieng (The Daily Show, M3GAN).
DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island is distributed by Universal Pictures.
DreamWorks Animation, a division of the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, within NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation, is a global family entertainment company with feature film and television brands. DreamWorks’ feature heritage includes many of the world’s most acclaimed films and beloved franchises, including Shrek, Puss in Boots, Kung Fu Panda, How to Train Your Dragon, Trolls, The Boss Baby, Madagascar, The Bad Guys, Gabby’s Dollhouse and The Wild Robot. Collectively, these theatrical film properties have grossed more than $17 billion worldwide. DreamWorks Animation’s television studio is one of the world’s leading producers of high-quality, animated family programming, reaching consumers in more than 190 countries with a diverse array of original streaming series and films. The company’s deep portfolio of intellectual property is supported by a robust, worldwide licensing and consumer products practice, as well as award-winning brand experiences through Universal Destinations & Experiences theme parks, live entertainment and more.
Universal Pictures is a division of Universal Studios (www.universalstudios.com). Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal. NBCUniversal is one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production and marketing of entertainment, news and information to a global audience. NBCUniversal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group and world-renowned theme parks. NBCUniversal is a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.