There are many ways to get to DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island.”
One of them is via the official audiobook from Penguin Random House. With the audiobook being released digitally on Sept. 29, just a few days after the movie debuts, TheWrap can exclusively announce that Jennifer Aquino has been cast as the sole performer. That’s right. Aquino will be playing every character.
“As a Filipino-American artist to be entrusted with voicing an entire world inspired by Filipino mythology is deeply personal,” Aquino shared in a Tuesday statement. “To voice all the souls on this island for DreamWorks is an honor.”
“As the audiobook’s sole performer, Aquino draws on years of experience creating distinct voices for multiple characters, bringing all the personalities in ‘Forgotten Island’ to life, from best friends Jo and Raissa to the island’s fantastical creatures and colorful ensemble,” per the official release.
“Forgotten Island” follows best friends Jo and Raissa (voiced, in the film, by H.E.R. and Liza Soberano) who, on the night before Raissa is set to leave the Philippines for college in America, get transported to a magical land called Nakali, full of mythology that they have both been obsessed with. While desperate to return to their lives, leaving the island does come with a steep price – their memories. Will they make it back in time for Raissa to start her new life? And will they even remember the friendship that brought them to this incredible place?
Among the crazy characters they encounter on their journey are Raww, an in your-face were-dog (Dave Franco); Bungi (Manny Jacinto), a big blue demon baby; and Manang, the Dreaded Manananggal (Lea Salonga), a mythic vampire.
Aquino is a Los Angeles-based actor, voice actor, director and producer with more than 20 years of experience across film, television, commercials, theater and voiceover. Aquino, who can currently be heard in the Oscar-nominated film “Shoplifters” on Netflix, recently completed principal photography on the thriller “Breathe,” starring Sydney Shiotani and Jim Beaver and directed by Art Chudabala. She began narrating audiobooks in 2021 and has since performed more than 100 titles for 20 publishers, including Penguin Random House, Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Audible Studios.
Her audiobook work has earned recognition from the industry’s leading awards programs. Aquino is a 2026 SOVAS Voice Arts Award Finalist, 2024 Odyssey Award Winner, 2023 Audie Awards Finalist and AudioFile Earphones Award Winner. She is represented by Bailey Rae Harrison at Exclusive Artists Agency and Bradley Richards at Kairos-Talent Management.
The “Forgotten Island” audiobook, produced by Matie Argiropoulos, will be available Sept. 29 on digital platforms including Audible, Apple Books, Google Play and Spotify, following the film’s theatrical release on Sept. 25.
