Years before directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado earned recognition for their Award-winning work on Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, the duo began collaborating on an original story honoring Filipino folklore that would eventually become DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island. Since its release this year, the colorful ‘90s throwback has received glowing reviews from critics and audiences alike with its touching coming-of-age story and talented vocal cast, led by Dave Franco, Lisa Frankenstein’s Liza Soberano, and Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter H.E.R.

In the movie, H.E.R. and Soberano provide the voices for childhood best friends Jo and Raissa, respectively. On the BFF’s last night together before Raissa heads off to college, they’re swept away to an enchanted world called Nakali, where they discover that to escape and return home, they may have to give up every memory they have together. With Forgotten Island now in theaters, H.E.R. sat down with Perri Nemiroff for an episode of Collider Ladies Night to chat about working alongside Soberano on Jo and Raissa’s dynamics in the booth. The multi-platinum artist also spoke about her on and off-screen career, from Broadway to The Color Purple, all the way back to breakfasts with her father, who encouraged her dreams of becoming a rock star. She also discusses her filmmaking goals for the future, and reveals the horror masterpiece that fuels them.
H.E.R. Wants to Team Up With Mike Flanagan for a Horror Movie

“He’s very twisted, and I like that.”

Mike Flanagan adapts Stephen King’s The Life of Chuck.Image via TheNews2/Cover Images

During a round of Dicey Questions, H.E.R. got one of Nemiroff’s favorite questions to ask guests: What’s your favorite scary movie? She gives The Shining that honor, saying, “It’s actually my favorite movie of all time. I like horror, actually.” She continues, “There’s certain horror I refuse to watch, but there’s a little horror I actually really enjoy.” Having previously spoken with H.E.R. about her feature directorial debut, the documentary The Makings of Curtis Mayfield, at SXSW last year, where she revealed that she “definitely” had hopes to direct a narrative feature in the future (“I’ve been talking about it all day, so we’re going to put that into the universe”), Nemiroff asked whether she’d be interested in helming a horror movie, and what that would look like.
“Honestly, I think it would have to be a psychological thriller-type of horror. Like, not gory or demonic. It would have to be just like a really scary, like, you-don’t-know-what’s-going-to-happen-next type of movie.”
Tis the season for the genre, and naturally, with Prime Video’s Carrie adaptation now streaming, one of the modern-day masters of horror, Mike Flanagan, was name-dropped. When Nemiroff mentioned the two of them partnering up for the project, H.E.R. was game. “Let’s do it. That would be crazy. He’s very twisted, and I like that.”

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H.E.R. Has Psychological Horror on the Brain

“I’ve got a lot to say.”

Image via Adam Martignetti

While The Makings of Curtis Mayfield was a documentary in which H.E.R. spoke with influential voices in the music industry, including Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, and Tom Morello, about Mayfield’s impact on the business and culture, she’s ready to flex her directorial muscles in a new way.
“I hope I can direct a narrative film one day. That would be awesome. I would love to make that psychological thriller now that we’ve been talking about it, because there’s something on my bucket list, for sure. I’ve got a lot to say. But, yeah, I think that’d be cool.”
An effective psychological horror, hold the gore, you say? Flanagan, who’s shot to streaming notoriety since Netflix’s 2018 miniseries The Haunting of Hill House, could be the perfect creative partner or inspiration for H.E.R.’s first narrative feature as director and star. But whatever direction she chooses to take, we’re sat.

Forgotten Island is in theaters now. Don’t miss the full Ladies Night conversation in the video above!

Release Date

September 25, 2026

Runtime

109 Minutes

Director

Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado

Cast

Liza Soberano

Raissa (voice)

Lea Salonga

The Dreaded Manananggal (voice)