Picture Credit: DreamWorks Animation
DreamWorks Animation is back on the big screen! Opening in theaters this past weekend, Forgotten Island is the studio’s highly acclaimed new original adventure steeped in Filipino mythology. While it’s currently enchanting audiences in cinemas (some anyway—its box office has been considered one of the biggest disappointments of the year), you might be wondering when you can stream this magical journey from the comfort of your living room on Netflix. Here is our current release date prediction.
Released in theaters on September 25, 2026, Forgotten Island is the latest visually dazzling feature from directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the visionary duo behind 2022’s smash hit Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.
Set in the Philippines during the 1990s, the film follows Jo and Raissa, two lifelong best friends whose lives are about to head in different directions. On their last night together before Raissa leaves for college, they accidentally open a portal to the mystical island of Nakali. Populated by creatures from Filipino folklore, the girls must find a way to escape the island before the memories of their entire friendship are erased forever.
The movie features an all-star voice cast led by Grammy-winner H.E.R. and Liza Soberano, alongside Dave Franco, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng, and Broadway legend Lea Salonga as the dreaded Manananggal.
Despite a slightly soft opening weekend at the box office, Forgotten Island has debuted to glowing reviews, currently sitting at a stellar 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Given the incredible word of mouth, it is bound to be a massive hit once it eventually arrives on streaming. Here’s what we know about its Netflix release.
When will Forgotten Island be on Netflix in the United States?
Netflix and Universal Pictures (which distributes DreamWorks Animation titles) have a long-standing output deal that was recently renewed and expanded. As we’ve covered extensively, Netflix recently aligned its “first window” Pay-1 rights for Universal’s live-action slate to begin a full year early in 2026, joining the already established pipeline for Universal’s animated films from Illumination and DreamWorks.
Under this current agreement, Universal and DreamWorks animated movies follow a very specific release pipeline:
- An exclusive theatrical and Premium Video on Demand (PVOD) window.
- An initial streaming window on Peacock for 4 months.
- A 10-month exclusive streaming window on Netflix.
- A final 4-month return to Peacock.
Given that Forgotten Island was released in theaters on September 25, 2026, we can calculate its streaming trajectory pretty accurately. While industry insiders suggest the movie will hit PVOD platforms around Thanksgiving, its actual SVOD (subscription streaming) debut on Peacock usually happens about three to four months after its theatrical premiere.
Here is our estimated streaming timeline for Forgotten Island:
- Estimated Peacock Release: January 2027
- Estimated Netflix Release: May 2027
If you can’t wait until next spring to get your movie fix on Netflix, don’t worry—the pipeline is absolutely packed. We’ve got plenty of other major releases on the horizon under this deal, including Curry Barker’s supernatural dark comedy Obsession, and the latest Minions movie is also just around the corner, plus Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day.
When will Forgotten Island be on Netflix Internationally?
If you live outside of the United States, your wait time to stream Forgotten Island will depend entirely on your region’s specific, localized deal with Universal Pictures.
- Central Europe and parts of Latin America typically receive DreamWorks movies in the first pay window. If that holds true, you can likely expect to see Forgotten Island arrive sometime in mid-to-late 2027.
- The UK and Canada generally have to wait a little longer, usually around two full years after the theatrical premiere. For subscribers in these regions, it’s safer to estimate a late 2028 release.
- Other regions could be waiting up to 36 months, so you might be better off seeking the film out on VOD platforms later this year.
Will you be checking out DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island in theaters, or will you be waiting for it to hit Netflix next spring? Let us know in the comments down below!