
DreamWorks’ animated film Forgotten Island, featuring Filipino mythological creatures like the manananggal and tiyanak, opened in the Philippines on Wednesday and is set for U.S. release on Friday, marking the first major Hollywood production to showcase Filipino culture and mythology.
AI-generated summary
Stories of the manananggal and tiyanak are part of Philippine folklore commonly heard by children growing up in the country.
Stories of the manananggal, a creature said to split its body in two, and the tiyanak, which takes the form of an infant, are part of the folklore many children grow up hearing in the Philippines.
Now, they are among the mythological creatures featured in DreamWorks’ animated Forgotten Island, which opened in the Philippines on Wednesday and is due to be released in the United States on Friday.
The film, described as the first major Hollywood production to showcase Filipino culture and mythology, offers a rare point of recognition for the diaspora while reflecting the US industry’s growing interest in Asian audiences.
“We first saw the trailers in the cinema, and I wasn’t expecting to see a movie with Filipino stories that I grew up with back in the 1990s,” Berlynn Tuazon-Bradshaw, 34, told This Week in Asia.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Forgotten Island will see strong opening weekend attendance in the Philippines due to cultural relevance
Likely · Within days
The film will generate interest in Filipino mythology among international audiences
Possible · Within weeks

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