[Reporter Xu Shiying/Comprehensive Report] DreamWorks' latest animation "Into the Forgotten Island" has not yet been released, and word of mouth is the first to spread the good news! It currently has a 100% freshness rating on the Rotten Tomatoes film review website, and has accumulated more than 20 film reviews, all of which have given positive reviews. It has become one of the most well-reviewed works in Hollywood animation this year. This new original animation was created by the Gold Award team, and hired Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-winning H.E.R. and actress Lisa Soberano to lend their voices to the two protagonists Joe and Lesa respectively. The two often recorded together, developing a natural understanding of the characters.
The story of "Into the Forgotten Island" focuses on high school graduates Joe and Lessa. On the last night of celebrating their graduation, the two accidentally discover a mysterious portal and enter Nakari Island, which is full of magic and mythical creatures. They thought they could leave by finding a way home, but they didn't expect that in the end, the two found that if they wanted to return to their original world, they would have to pay the price of erasing the memory of each other's friendship. They could only try to escape from the island before completely forgetting each other. The film is co-written and directed by Oscar and BAFTA Film Award finalists Joey Crawford and Hanul Mercado.
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The animated film "The Island of Oblivion" is one of the highest-rated movies of the year. (provided by UIP)
The film's animation technology is proficient and full of imagination. Not only does it create rich and distinctive visual effects with delicate and smooth animation, but the world view setting is also quite interesting, developing the concept of "forgotten" into an adventure journey full of fantasy. Especially under the cheerful and funny surface, there are also emotional themes about companionship, friendship and finding self-worth. The bonds between the characters gradually accumulate as the story progresses, ultimately bringing about sincere and touching emotional power.
Grammy Award-winning and Oscar-winning H.E.R. (left) and Lisa Soberano co-dubbed "Into the Forgotten Island". (provided by UIP)
The production team felt from the beginning that H.E.R. would be a perfect fit for Joe's personality. Producer Mark Swift said, "She is totally Joe. It feels like she's playing herself. She's funny, warm, energetic, and her performance captures the spirit of Joe perfectly. She's always a pleasure to be around, and she has such a bright personality. She comes in and wants to hug everyone."
Lisa Soberano also quickly resonated with the character of Leisa, saying, "I don't open up easily, but I can be very warm and cheerful with my closest friends. This story is full of cultural differences and traditions, and it feels like a reflection of my life with my family and friends. In the touching scenes, I naturally became involved because those moments are based on real memories."
In order to make the interaction between the two friends in the film more natural, H.E.R. and Lisa Soberano often went into the recording studio together, and the two also developed a tacit understanding during their collaborations. H.E.R. said, "Our interactions were easy and joyful. You can definitely feel it in the movie." Lisa Soberano continued, "H.E.R. injected endless energy and enthusiasm into Joe, which made us hit it off and created many beautiful moments while recording together."
"Into Forgotten Island" opened on Rotten Tomatoes and received 100% fresh reviews. (Photo taken from Rotten Tomatoes)
In addition to the two protagonists, Dave Franco also participated in the dubbing of the English version, injecting joy and vulnerability into the character of Ah Lo. Writer-director Hanur Mercado said, "Dave Franco perfectly captures Arlo's joy and vulnerability, as well as his confusion about his identity as a teenager. We use popular, absurdist comedy to tell a touching coming of age story, and there is real emotion in it, and Dave Franco fully conveys it every time he takes a recording."
Talking about the dubbing process, Dave Franco said that the director gave him a lot of room to play. He said, "Joy Crawford and Hanul Mercado encouraged me to try, improvise, and perform my own style. I am very grateful to them for trusting me and giving me such an interesting role."
In the Chinese version, Chen Yu and Dora Xie Yuzhi provide the voices of Qiao and Leisha respectively. The two are also good friends in real life, and their off-screen friendship also extends to the recording studio, adding another layer of real emotion to the animated friends. "Into the Forgotten Island" will be released in Taiwan during the Mid-Autumn Festival on September 25.
