Dave Franco voices Raww, a well-meaning but hapless “weredog” who joins protagonists Jo and Raissa on the fantastical island of Nakali. He is part of the group that helps the friends face the dreaded Manananggal, but he does not occupy the story’s emotional center: that belongs to the bond between the two young women.
That is the direct answer for anyone who found Franco’s name connected to *Forgotten Island*. The actor is a member of the voice cast, not playing a version of himself. The DreamWorks animated feature opened in U.S. theaters on September 25, 2026 and, as of this article’s publication, the studio lists it as now playing.
Who Raww is
The official DreamWorks page describes Raww as eager to help, even if his efforts do not always go according to plan. That concise description establishes his role without disclosing plot turns: he is an ally encountered in Nakali and part of a small but mighty pack of characters.
Raww also helps set the adventure’s tone. His fantastical nature fits an island populated by magical and mythological beings, while his clumsiness adds comedy to a mission with serious consequences. The available official information does not explain his origin, powers or the exact moment when he meets the protagonists; anticipating those details would require speculation or spoilers.
Franco performs the character in English. The material reviewed does not name the actors playing Raww in any dubbed versions for other territories, so his credit should not be transferred to every edition of the movie.
The spoiler-free premise
Jo, voiced by H.E.R., and Raissa, voiced by Liza Soberano, have graduated from high school and are about to follow different paths. Friends since childhood, they spend one last night together before that separation. During their meeting, they discover a portal that carries them to Nakali.
The island contains creatures they recognize from stories told by their Filipino families. Some become allies; others pose threats. Returning home demands a price closely tied to the movie’s theme: the memories of their entire friendship.
For that reason, *Forgotten Island* does not use Nakali merely as a setting for obstacles. The fantasy journey turns the friends’ fear of drifting apart into a concrete conflict, in which preserving their shared memory becomes as important as escaping the island.
Filipino inspiration and the Manananggal threat
The CinemaCon presentation described Nakali as an island filled with magical and mythological creatures from Filipino folklore. Within the story, Jo and Raissa know these figures through their own families, connecting the adventure with the protagonists’ cultural heritage.
The principal officially identified threat is The Dreaded Manananggal, voiced by Lea Salonga. NBCUniversal’s CinemaCon report confirms the Filipino folklore element but does not provide a detailed historical explanation of each creature. Viewers can therefore recognize the inspiration without assuming the animation is a catalogue or complete representation of those traditions.
Raww belongs to this fantastic environment, but the reviewed official sources do not explicitly connect him to a particular Filipino legend. The reliable description is the studio’s own: a “weredog.”
Voice cast and filmmakers
Alongside H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco and Lea Salonga, the voice cast includes Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy and Ronny Chieng. The official descriptions do not disclose every performer’s character, so the cast list alone cannot establish who will be a friend or foe.
The movie was written and directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and produced by Mark Swift. The trio worked on *Puss in Boots: The Last Wish*. The official release announcement identifies the film as an original DreamWorks Animation production distributed by Universal Pictures.
Those details place the project in context: it is an animated theatrical adventure built around friendship, life changes and fantasy, rather than an announced adaptation or a franchise sequel.
What to check before watching
The U.S. release took place on September 25, 2026. Because theaters and showtimes change, viewers should confirm current availability through the movie’s official links and their local exhibitor before leaving home. The reviewed sources do not support a single international schedule, and availability in the United States should not be assumed to apply to other markets.
Those sources also provide no confirmed date for the full movie’s streaming release. NBCUniversal’s reference to an “exclusive look” on Peacock concerns promotional material and does not establish that the complete film is available on the service. To begin with minimal advance knowledge, remember three points: Raww is the protagonists’ ally, Nakali draws on Filipino folklore, and the central conflict concerns Jo and Raissa’s memories.
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