‘Don’t Forget to Be a Big Kid’: H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco & Forgotten Island Creators Talk Friendship & Childhood

Forgotten Island is more than an animated adventure. At its heart, the film is a story about friendship, growing up, holding onto childhood memories, and understanding that the people who shape us can remain an important part of our lives no matter how old we become.

Ahead of the film’s release, I spoke with H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, director Joel Crawford and co-director Januel Mercado about the deeply personal themes behind the movie, the childhood memories that inspired them, their favorite moments from the film, and the unique animation style that brings its world to life.

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The conversation quickly became personal as the cast and filmmakers reflected on their own childhood friendships and the memories they still carry with them today.

H.E.R. on the childhood friendship that stayed with her

When asked about a childhood story she hopes to carry with her for the next 30 years, H.E.R. recalled how she became best friends with someone on the playground.

The two eventually started a little girls’ group because they were huge Cheetah Girls fans. When another girl didn’t want her friend included, H.E.R. stood up for her.

“She has to be in the group too,” she recalled saying.

That childhood moment ultimately became the beginning of a lifelong friendship.

It is a fitting memory for Forgotten Island, a film that places friendship at the center of its story and explores the ways those relationships can shape who we become.

Liza Soberano on staying connected to your inner child

For Liza Soberano, one of the most meaningful parts of the film is its reminder that growing up doesn’t mean you have to leave everything from childhood behind.

Reflecting on what her character, Rissa, taught her, Soberano explained that while life can be serious and filled with plans for the future, it is important to remain present.

She emphasized the importance of capturing moments with the people you love, making memories and remembering that those experiences can ultimately become some of the most meaningful parts of life.

“I think Joe has just been reminding me and bringing out my inner child,” Soberano added, explaining that the film encouraged her to remember that it is okay to still be a kid at heart.

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Dave Franco remembers the friends who grew up alongside him

Franco also looked back at childhood friendships, recalling three of his closest friends whom he has known since he was five years old.

Living just blocks from one another, the friends would gather at four corners in their neighborhood and throw a Frisbee for hours until the neighbors eventually told them it was time to go home.

For Franco, those seemingly simple childhood moments became lasting memories.

His recollection perfectly reflects one of Forgotten Island’s central ideas: sometimes the smallest moments from childhood become the memories we carry with us the longest.

Januel Mercado found inspiration in childhood make-believe

Mercado shared an equally nostalgic memory involving his brother and neighborhood friends.

As children, they would ride bikes and scooters to an area that was still being developed and play inside the unfinished structures. Their imaginations transformed the bare-bones houses into places of refuge as they pretended they were being chased by monsters.

It is easy to see how those childhood experiences could inspire a filmmaker working on a story where imagination, mythology and childhood wonder are so deeply connected.

A ‘coming-of-all-ages’ story

One of the biggest takeaways from the conversation was that Forgotten Island isn’t simply a coming-of-age story for children.

Crawford described the film as a “coming-of-all-ages story,” explaining that friendship isn’t something we only need during a particular stage of life.

“There’s not a time in your life” when friendship and connection stop being important, Crawford explained.

The director hopes the film encourages audiences to reflect on the friendships they have had throughout their lives, while also showing younger audiences what friendship can look like and what they can aspire to build.

At its core, the message is simple: we all need someone who sees us, understands us and connects with us.

The film’s most emotional moments

When asked about their favorite moments from the movie, the answers revealed just how much personality and experimentation went into Forgotten Island.

H.E.R. highlighted the Dwende scene with King Truffle Waffle, a sequence she particularly enjoyed recording in the booth. The experience was so much fun that she admitted she wanted to be friends with the character after watching the finished scene.

Soberano pointed to the emotional sequence involving Joe and Rissa as one of her favorites, particularly the moment when they reflect on the dreams they have lived out with Lola before the characters seemingly spiral into the air in a warm embrace.

For another member of the cast, the film’s final sequence stood out because of its unusual visual approach. The characters move back through their memories together in an avant-garde sequence that was compared to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

It is exactly the kind of moment that makes Forgotten Island feel different from a traditional animated adventure.

Why the animation changes throughout the film

One of the elements that immediately stood out to me while watching Forgotten Island was its constantly evolving animation style.

Rather than being restricted to one visual language, the filmmakers use different animation techniques to reflect the emotions of the characters and the story.

Crawford explained that the team wanted to use the film as an opportunity to tell the story “in as many ways possible,” drawing inspiration from the different styles of filmmaking and animation that influenced them.

The filmmakers also looked to the anime they grew up watching, including Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon, as inspirations.

One example comes when Rissa realizes that half of her hair is missing. Instead of presenting the moment through a traditional animated performance, the filmmakers exaggerate the reaction, changing the camera perspective and facial expressions to heighten the emotion.

The filmmakers also pointed to FLCL as an influence, particularly in the way the camera can move around a character’s head and exaggerate a reaction.

That willingness to experiment is one of the film’s biggest strengths. The animation doesn’t simply tell the audience what the characters are feeling—it helps make the audience feel it.

Childhood, culture and the stories we pass down

What makes Forgotten Island especially meaningful is the way it connects childhood imagination with culture and storytelling.

The film draws inspiration from Philippine mythology and culture, giving audiences an opportunity to experience characters and stories rooted in Filipino traditions while still delivering a universal story about friendship and growing up.

That balance makes the film accessible to audiences who may see pieces of their own childhood reflected in the characters, while also introducing viewers to cultural traditions they may not have experienced before.

And perhaps that is ultimately what Forgotten Island is about: the stories we are given as children, the people who help shape those stories, and what happens when we carry them with us into adulthood.

Whether it is playing with neighborhood friends, creating imaginary worlds, standing up for your best friend, or simply spending time with the people you love, the film asks audiences to remember something we often lose sight of as we grow older—being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop being the kid you once were.

Forgotten Island uses friendship, fantasy, Philippine mythology and inventive animation to explore that idea in a way that feels both personal and universal.