By Joshua Tyler & Chris Snellgrove | Published 6 seconds ago

No decade has been more thoroughly mined for nostalgia than the 1980s. You might think it’s just because the decade’s movies are so good they’re unforgettable. Or maybe it’s just because Hollywood is out of ideas. 

That’s not it at all. It happened because the most popular kids’ movie of 1986 trapped an entire generation in a doom loop by killing off the person they loved most and replacing him with some plastic crap.

This is the story of how Transformers: The Movie screenwashed an entire generation into becoming slop eaters.

A Slop Eater is a person who mindlessly consumes without discrimination, driven by availability rather than quality. Transformers was ground zero for the explosion of nostalgia that has dominated every Millennial’s life for the last two decades.  Endlessly mining the past for nostalgia is flat-out slop.

Transformers: The Movie effectively screenwashed men into learning the worst possible lesson: that we should never put away our toys, and that we’re just one more throwback purchase away from reclaiming the happiness of our childhood. By the time you’ve finished reading this, you’ll understand how they did it, so that maybe, just maybe, together we can break the spell.

When 1986’s Transformers: The Movie came out, it did the very last thing its young fans expected by killing off Optimus Prime early in the movie. This tough-but-tender truck man was more than the leader of the Autobots: he’d been established as a pseudo-father to the kids who’d been watching him on television and were now in the audience. 

The filmmakers killed Prime off as a blunt way to demonstrate that this movie was playing for keeps, especially compared to the cartoon. Or at least that was their excuse.

The truth is that there was an ulterior motive at play here. The filmmakers were so focused on achieving that ulterior motive that they didn’t stop to consider the long-term consequences of their actions. What they were doing was creating a generation of man-child slop eaters.

Transformers: The Movie has a pretty relentless pace. After a bit of world-building (including the introduction of the Galactus-like Big Bad, Unicron), we see the Decepticons take over an Autobot ship, horrifically killing everyone on board. 

They use this to launch a daring raid on Autobot City, and it soon looks like the bad guys are going to win the day. That changes when Optimus Prime launches a one-man counter-assault that ends with a duel against Megatron, the ruthless Decepticon leader. Prime wins the battle with one final blow, but he has sustained too much damage and later succumbs to his injuries.

In some ways, that makes things worse. Optimus Prime doesn’t get a quick death like other ‘bots, including Starscream. Instead, we watch him slowly and excruciatingly die in the Autobot equivalent of a hospital room. He flatlines, and all hope is lost. We literally see the light leave his eyes. 

As if that’s not bad enough, his entire body turns gray, emphasizing the horrific transformation we just watched. This is no longer the strong, vibrant hero of a mighty army. He’s now just a collection of spare parts.

Looking back, older Transformers fans consider this the moment their childhood died, which is ironic. After all, this franchise is why their childhood never ended.

With Optimus dead, the film simply moves on and gives us a replacement, in a cynical attempt to sell toys based on new characters, intentionally teaching its child audience the worst possible lesson: when an old toy dies, just replace it with a new one.

Is Optimus Prime dead? No problem, Ultra Magnus has the Matrix of Leadership now. 

Wait, they just pulled Magnus apart? No worries, Hot Rod is about to get an upgrade. Be sure to buy both figures!

This is Replacement Nostalgia. Replacement Nostalgia is a media pattern in which childhood attachment is preserved not by memory or growth, but by continually replacing old versions of beloved icons with new ones, keeping the audience emotionally dependent on the franchise.

Transformers: The Movie conditioned an entire generation of kids into making Replacement Nostalgia a way of life through a four-step persuasion process.

Step 1: Childhood attachment is made disposable.

Optimus is not just a character; he is a moral father figure. Killing him says even sacred childhood icons can be swapped out.

Step 2: Grief is redirected, not resolved.

The kid is not asked to emotionally process Optimus being gone. The movie hands them Rodimus Prime and says, essentially, this is where your feelings go now.

Step 3: Replacement becomes continuity.

The franchise keeps going, so the child learns that emotional continuity does not come from maturation or memory. It comes from consuming the next installment.

Step 4: Nostalgia becomes renewable inventory.

Once the kid grows up, the same structure can be repeated: Optimus dies, returns, gets redesigned, rebooted, reissued, recollected, re-skinned. The adult is not asked to leave childhood behind. He is invited to keep buying upgraded access to it.

You’re not watching a story with a beginning, middle, and an end. You’re trapped in a narrative subscription model that keeps renewing over and over and over again. By the time the original Transformers generation grew older, there was never a thought about putting away childish things because constant consumption of nostalgia slop became their corporate-friendly way of life.

Speaking of which, companies constantly fill store shelves with toys that those now very grown kids still scoop up, hoping that they’ll eventually have enough plastic crap to fill that void deep inside us. A void left by Optimus Prime. These tchotchkes are a way of microdosing nostalgia; an attempt to recapture the joy felt at getting a new Transformer growing up.

Millennials are stuck between two very different eras. Not fully online, yet unable to put the digital cat back in the bag, the best they can do is swim towards the receding shore of the past, one rerun at a time.

By killing off Optimus Prime and many other characters, the film could introduce new characters whose toys the young audience would implore their parents to buy after the credits rolled. And no one stopped to think about how that might affect those kids as they grew up.

While Transformers has successfully reinvented itself for later generations (just take a look at the toy aisle if you don’t believe me), the original cartoon and movie were squarely aimed at a very young, Millennial audience. As this audience grew up, nostalgia became a core part of their identity. And as a result, Millennials never really learned to put the toys away. 

Hollywood is well aware of this collective nostalgia fixation and constantly floods the big screen with endless prequels, sequels, and reboots. After all, why try something new when most of your core audience is longing for something old? This is how we inexplicably got a third trilogy of Star Wars movies focused on Skywalker family drama. Even when Hollywood produces a nominally new IP like Stranger Things, it has to be soaked in enough ‘80s nostalgia to tickle the same part of our brains that still likes playing with vintage toys.

Sadly, endlessly making the Autobots and Decepticons fight each other won’t teach a man-child to transform into an adult. And watching them now can’t transform him back to who he was in the past. All that’s left is to look at fragments, hoping to catch a reflection of yourself from the last time you were truly happy. But fragments of happiness are better than no happiness at all, so Millennial men continue pursuing inner peace, one slop remake at a time. 

When you run out of remakes, you can relive the trauma by rewatching the original, coincidentally streaming on Amazon. While you’re there, be sure to order a new toy. Don’t worry; I’m sure this will be the one that finally makes everything better!

Jerry O’Connell recently shared some candid details about life with his wife, Rebecca Romijn, revealing the actress has a “funky” smell.

The 52-year-old actor didn’t hold back in a new interview as he proudly confessed his love for her body odor while noting that she rubs “crystals” under her armpit instead of using regular deodorant.

Jerry O’Connell previously came under scrutiny when he joked that Rebecca Romijn only finds him “appealing” when she’s “high.”

During a chat with former “Saturday Night Live” alum, Ego Nwodim, on her podcast, O’Connell shared some interesting details about his wife’s hygiene methods and how much he likes her natural smell.

As the pair chatted about antiperspirants, the actor noted that he strictly prefers spray deodorants over roll-ons, before dragging Romijn into the conversation.

“I have to tell you, my wife, Rebecca Romijn, rubs crystals under her arms. And I’m here to tell everyone it doesn’t work … the crystals under the arms doesn’t work,” O’Connell said.

He continued, “Now, I don’t mind the way my wife [smells] … it doesn’t offend me. This is going to get a little dirty … I kind of like it when I can smell my wife’s body odor. It’s kind of like, yeah, she’s alive, we’re alive, we’re living.”

“It’s like a little kicking and, like, it’s a little funky town,” O’Connell added about his wife’s smell, per Us Weekly.

The Hollywood couple tied the knot back in 2007 and are proud parents to 17-year-old twin daughters Charlie and Dolly.

The Actor Admitted His Wife Will Only Touch Him When She’s ‘High’

O’Connell tends to have no filter when it comes to sharing details about his relationship with his wife. The actor previously raised eyebrows when he shared that Romijn only finds him “appealing” when she’s high.

The comment came about while he was having a conversation with comedian Bill Maher on his podcast about smoking.

O’Connell noted that while he doesn’t smoke, he lives with someone who “vapes,” referring to Romijn.

This prompted him to say: “The only time my wife finds me appealing is intimate with me … the only time my wife — what’s the word? — touches me is if my wife takes a hit off that pen.”

Later in the episode, Maher questioned whether O’Connell was a “health nut,” which led the actor to confess his love for processed food and takeout orders.

Maher couldn’t resist poking fun at his lifestyle, joking that O’Connell sounded like a guy who “doesn’t get laid unless his wife is high.”

Jerry O’Connell Once Shared That Rebecca Romijn Helped Him Quit Smoking By Threatening To Stop Sleeping With Him

For O’Connell, quitting the habit of smoking required a major and intimate intervention from Romijn. Back in February, the actor revealed that he had a major nicotine addiction for decades, which he was eventually able to beat with the help of hypnosis.

However, what pushed him to seek such an unconventional solution was his wife’s threat to stop sleeping with him if he continued smoking.

“I struggled with nicotine for decades… had to get hypnotized,” O’Connell said during an appearance on actress Sophia Bush’s podcast, noting that he hasn’t smoked in over 14 years.

The television personality explained that the true turning point was sparked by Romijn’s dramatic marriage ultimatum.

“My wife said she would not touch me if I smoked, and that lasted about two months,” he recalled. “I thought it was a joke. Then, after, like, two weeks, there was no physical contact. After about three and a half weeks, I was like, I gotta do something.”

After finding it hard to quit on his own, O’Connell shared that he reached out to a friend, who advised him to try seeing a hypnotist as it worked for them.

The Actor Was Surprised That Hypnosis Worked On Him

Speaking further about his journey to quit smoking, O’Connell noted that he struggled with the idea of getting a hypnotist, but was convinced to give it a try by a friend who claimed to have successfully quit thanks to the unconventional method.

For the session with the hypnotist, O’Connell revealed that he brought along a photo of his wife and kids, and was told to sit on a recliner with headphones on.

“…and there was, like, spa music. And she was like, ‘Count to nine, eight…’ and I fell asleep,” the actor recalled.

When he was done, O’Connell remembered thinking to himself, “What a joke,” seemingly annoyed that he “just gave some old lady $800.”

“What a waste of money,” the actor said. But, to his utter amazement, the results were instant.

“I walked to my car. I got in it. I had a pack [cigarettes], put the ciggy in my mouth, brought the lighter up… I couldn’t light it… I swear to you. I swear to you. I’ve never been hypnotized for anything else,” O’Connell said.

Jerry O’Connell Said His Wife And Daughters Got ‘Physical’ With Him Over Politics

In another candid moment, O’Connell shared that he got into a heated physical altercation with Romijn and their daughters over politics.

The actor opened up about the shocking moment, which was sparked by his comment on Donald Trump defeating Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

“I said something along the lines of, ‘There was no planning. This is what they get. There should have been a primary,’” O’Connell shared with Bill Maher on his “Club Random” podcast. “I was just spit-balling ideas.”

Things then took a turn, as he branded the intense reaction from his wife and daughter “shocking.”

“My wife and daughters, without saying anything, became physical with me. They were filled with rage,” O’Connell recalled.

“I live in California,” he added about the incident. “I live with not one, not two, but three people who, if I made any kind of joke, they’d become very angry with me.”

After his comments went viral, the actor shared on social media that he was done doing podcasts, confessing that his family was “mad” at him over his candid remarks.

Janeice Downs, a Washington woman, and her mother have reportedly been arrested after allegedly stealing $7,000 worth of Louis Vuitton purses and posting a video to Yung Miami‘s ‘Spend Dat.’

RELATED: Go, AWF! LisaRaye Has The Internet Taking Notes After Hitting Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ Challenge (WATCH)

Woman & Mom Reportedly Arrested After Allegedly Stealing $7K Worth Of Louis Vuitton Purses & Posting Video To Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

According to Fox 13 Seattle, Janeice Downs and Janeice Wiley were arrested after participating in a “series of high-end thefts across Western Washington.” Per the outlet, Downs has been charged with organized retail theft in the first degree.

Furthermore, Downs and her mom were reportedly taken into custody in the parking lot of Westfield Southcenter mall. This, reportedly, after detectives connected Downs to “multiple thefts through surveillance footage, social media posts,” and additional information. Specifically, detectives apparently believe Downs and her mom stole two Louis Vuitton bags, reportedly valued at $7,000.

Then, detectives say Downs shared footage of her mother dancing with the bags via TikTok. In the background of the clip, Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ played.

To note, Downs’ mother has reportedly been released from custody on $50,000 bail.

Social Media Reacts To The Arrests & Video To Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’

Social media users reacted to the arrests of the woman and their posting a clip dancing to Yung Miami’s ‘Spend Dat’ in No Jumper’s comment section.

More On The Woman Arrested After Allegedly Stealing $7K Worth Of Louis Vuitton Purses

According to Fox 13 Seattle, Janeice Downs previously caught six counts of organized retail theft after allegedly stealing from Lululemon stores. The mother-daughter duo was accused of stealing more than $500,000 worth of merchandise. Per the outlet, she was reportedly sentenced to 33 months in prison.

RELATED: Whew! Social Media Users Are Goin’ IN On Yung Miami’s Look At 2026 BET Awards (PHOTOS)

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Rumors surrounding the DC Universe’s next Batman have exploded across social media, with multiple insiders claiming that Tom Brittney has been cast as the Dark Knight for DC Studios’ upcoming The Brave and the Bold.

While nothing has been officially confirmed by James Gunn, the speculation gained momentum after well-known scooper MyTimeToShineHello simply posted, “It’s true, it’s Tom,” leading fans to connect the dots to Brittney. Several entertainment outlets have since echoed the rumor, although none have been able to verify it through DC Studios.

For fans unfamiliar with Brittney, the English actor is best known for his starring role in Grantchester. He was also reportedly one of the finalists to play Superman before David Corenswet ultimately landed the role, making him someone already familiar to DC Studios during the casting process.

Interestingly, James Gunn previously praised Brittney’s acting ability after seeing fan artwork imagining him as Batman, calling him “a great actor.” While that comment fueled fan speculation, Gunn has repeatedly stated that DC Studios will not officially cast Batman until the script for The Brave and the Bold is where they want it to be.

At this point, it’s important to stress that this remains nothing more than a rumor. DC Studios has not announced its Batman, and neither Gunn nor co-head Peter Safran has confirmed Brittney’s involvement in the DCU.

Still, if the reports prove accurate, Brittney would become the first actor to portray the DCU’s version of Bruce Wayne, separate from Robert Pattinson’s Batman, who continues to headline Matt Reeves’ standalone Elseworlds franchise.

Until an official announcement arrives, fans should treat the reports with caution. However, the growing buzz has certainly made Tom Brittney one of the most talked-about names in the race to wear the cape and cowl.

By Michileen Martin
| Published 19 seconds ago

The third season of The X-Files is one of the show’s strongest, and it’s during this season that Ryan Reynolds made one of his earliest TV appearances. The future Deadpool & Wolverine star shows up in the cold open of “Syzygy,” and before the opening credits his corpse is hanging from a cliff. His killers lounge on the grass far above him, laughing and pulling petals from a flower.

The Death Of Boom

Fittingly, considering Reynolds would go on to portray the Merc with a Mouth, “Syzygy” is one of the more darkly humorous episodes of The X-Files. It opens with Reynolds, who plays the teenage jock nicknamed Boom, giving an awkward eulogy for his murdered friend, insisting he and his friends need to “kick some butt” just like his dead friend “is doin’ in Heaven right now.”

The real killers, teenage girls Terri and Margi, ask Boom for a ride home. Along the way they talk about how they heard a satanic cult is looking to sacrifice virgins. Without any subtlety, they suggest that if they weren’t virgins anymore, they wouldn’t have to worry.

Boom pulls his car off the road. Next we see, he’s “hanging out.”

The Real Killers

In spite of what everyone in the small New Hampshire town believe, neither Boom’s death nor any of the other strange events happening in the X-Files episode have anything to do with Satan. Instead, a rare planetary alignment is causing people to act weird, and in the case of Terri and Margi, who were both born on the same date and at the same time, it gives them telekinetic powers while filling them with homicidal yearnings.

But Boom’s death helps to feed the satanic panic, not only because of his demise, but because of his coffin inexplicably catching fire during his memorial service.

Lisa Robin Kelly

Ryan Reynolds isn’t the only actor in The X-Files‘ “Syzygy” who would later enjoy more celebrity with a signature role, but the other star would unfortunately meet a tragic end.

One of the two psychic murderers of “Syzygy,” Terri, is played by Lisa Robin Kelly. Two years after the X-Files episode aired, Kelly made her first appearance in the second episode of That ’70s Show as Laurie Forman, older sister to Topher Grace’s Eric.

Kelly struggled with substance abuse for most of her adult life, and was eventually replaced in That ’70s Show by Christina Moore.

In 2013, at the age of 43, Kelly overdosed from drugs and died in her sleep.

Mulder Vs. Scully

One of the funniest parts of “Syzygy” is a very different chemistry between The X-Files mainstays Mulder and Scully. The planetary alignment is affecting them along with everyone else, and at first this manifests nothing more than a little bit more impatience on Scully’s part, along with Mulder getting a lot more flirtatious than normal with the local detective.

Eventually it gets to the point where Mulder is getting drunk alone in his hotel room while Scully is chain-smoking in hers.

Things eventually get a lot less polite between the two. When an angry Scully complains that Mulder never lets her drive, Mulder answers, “I was just never sure your little feet could reach the pedals.”

The writers apparently used online complaints X-Files fans made about the show to write the barbs Mulder and Scully torture each other with in “Syzygy.” The “your little feet” joke came from one fan’s theory on why Scully never drove, and Gillian Anderson apparently found it particularly hilarious.

Cody Simpson’s long-awaited return to music has hit another unexpected hurdle. After spending years chasing his Olympic dream before stepping back into the recording studio, the Australian singer has now been sidelined by two painful health setbacks in quick succession. 

From vocal cord surgery to a serious knee injury that left him relying on crutches, Simpson says the universe has been testing him. 

Even so, the performer remains determined to push through and return stronger than ever.

Cody Simpson left fans concerned after revealing he is recovering from two major health issues that have temporarily brought his comeback plans to a halt.

The 29-year-old shared a photo of himself using crutches on Instagram, explaining that he recently underwent vocal cord surgery before suffering another painful injury.

“The universe is serving it to me this year,” Simpson captioned the post. The singer then explained his healing journey and the effects of the surgery, noting, “I’ve been on and off vocal rest for close to 3 months trying to heal a damaged vocal cord.”

He also shared, “I can’t walk or talk for some time now and no singing or dancing for months to come. I’ve been pushing my body and mind for years now non-stop and I’m taking time to reflect and understand this for what it is: forced rest.”

Simpson Pushes Through Music Video Injury

Cody Simpson’s inability to walk and dance stemmed from a knee injury he suffered while filming a new music video.

In the social media post, the former competitive swimmer added a clip showing him rehearsing a dance routine in a studio before suddenly collapsing to the ground mid-routine.

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The pain could be seen on Simpson’s face as he grabbed his knee and attempted to crawl on the floor before the video ended.

Despite the dislocated knee, Simpson managed to complete the shoot before beginning his recovery. 

Although the injuries have delayed several major plans, he reassured fans that he still had material to share while recovering.

“The album and live shows have to wait, but I’ve got some work to share while I’m down for the count,” he shared, adding, “You can’t hold me down! I’ll be back stronger.”

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Fans Shower Cody Simpson With Love And Care

Shortly after Simpson shared the update, fans trooped to the comments section to share their thoughts. 

Many offered words of encouragement and prayed for his speedy recovery.

“We have waited a long time for you to return to music, so we can wait a bit longer for you to be on your 100%. Get well soon,” one concerned fan wrote.

Another added, “Will be praying for you. Take care of yourself man. It will take time but you’ll turn out ok in the end. Rest n reset.”

A third fan also shared, “If anyone can power through these challenges Codes it’s you!!” while a fourth user commented, “Rest is important! We’ll be here when you get back.”

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Simpson’s Vocal Cord Injury Delayed His Comeback

The vocal cord surgery and knee injury come only weeks after Cody Simpson disclosed another serious medical issue that interrupted his return to music.

Back in May, the “All Day” singer revealed he had suffered a hemorrhage on one of his vocal cords while recording new songs.

The condition forced him to undergo surgery and cancel promotional appearances tied to his latest single. 

It also delayed work on his upcoming album as doctors advised him to focus on healing his voice before returning to the studio.

The unexpected health scare arrived during what was supposed to be an exciting new era for the performer, who had been steadily rebuilding his music career after spending several years focused on competitive swimming.

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Cody Simpson Continues Chasing His Music Dreams After Olympic Disappointment

Simpson’s latest health challenges follow one of the biggest disappointments of his athletic career.

The Australian entertainer famously stepped away from music to pursue competitive swimming full-time, representing Australia and winning two Commonwealth Games medals while chasing qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

His Olympic hopes ultimately came to an end after he failed to secure a place on Australia’s team, prompting him to return to the recording studio following a six-year break from music.

Since making that decision, Simpson has released the singles “Baby Blue” and “When It Comes to Loving You” while working toward a full-length album.

Although injuries have now forced him to press pause once again, Simpson’s message to fans makes it clear that he has no intention of giving up.

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DreamWorks Animation’s Academy Award-nominated directing duo Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado returned to the Annecy International Animation Film Festival this year after leaving the fest in awe with 2022’s Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. This year, they debuted exclusive new footage of their ‘90s nostalgia throwback, Forgotten Island, and Collider’s Steve Weintraub had the pleasure of chatting with them afterward to get all the movie magic details about this epic animation feat.

Following in the footsteps of the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Crawford and Mercado steered the Puss in Boots franchise straight to the Academy Awards, earning a nomination for the Best Animated Feature Film for a movie that pushed beyond a familiar limitation within the medium. “Having these classic CG animated movies for so long,” Crawford explains, “you had a limited set of tools.” With Forgotten Island, this duo set out to surpass their own creativity, using a blend of animation styles to visually tell the story of BFFs Jo (H.E.R.) and Raissa (Liza Soberano), who are about to set out on different paths. On their last night together, the girls discover a portal that whisks them off to a whimsical island called Nakali, but to escape, they’ll have to give up every memory from their friendship. With the help of a hapless weredog, Raww (Dave Franco), and a few new pals, Jo and Raissa embark on a race to find a way off that island without sacrificing their memories.

Check out the full conversation below, where Crawford and Mercado discuss the different styles of animation and how each one serves the story, delivering audiences ‘90s nostalgia, and drawing inspiration from films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and even The Hangover. They explain the Filipino folklore that Forgotten Island is based on, with details about the two antagonists who rival even The Last Wish’s sinister Wolf (Wagner Moura), plus the music that captures the heart of Jo and Raissa’s bond, including a brand-new track from H.E.R. In addition, towards the end of the conversation, they reveal why they included a clip from Predator in the movie.

‘Forgotten Island’ Wouldn’t Exist Without ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’

The Shrek spin-off was critically acclaimed upon release.

COLLIDER: Annecy is fantastic. What is it like for you guys being here? Also, I think you did a signing today. What was that like? I would imagine there are a lot of students here who really want to do what you guys are doing.

JANUEL MERCADO: This is our community, right? Animation and people who are just so passionate and love the art form, and this diverse collection of storytelling and points of view.

JOEL CRAWFORD: We fell in love with this place and the festival in ‘22 with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. That was the first time we came here, and, man, did that get a great reception. It was amazing to be able to present the sneak-peek stuff this morning to this audience. You just feel the love and passion. From the stage, we couldn’t help but want to give it back.

MERCADO: They totally get what we do, which is we just want to tell stories that mean something, and we just want to keep pushing the medium of animation.

I want to go backwards. How did this movie happen? You’re telling an original story, and with studios, there’s that constant balance of original versus sequel and IP that they know.

CRAWFORD: It’s interesting. Going back to 2020, we had finished The Croods: A New Age, and Januel and I started actually kicking around the idea of Forgotten Island, going, “Let’s tell something based on Filipino mythology.” We then actually stepped away from Forgotten Island for a little bit when we took on Puss in Boots and directed that. I’m super grateful for that experience with the studio because Puss in Boots pushed some boundaries for animation, but for DreamWorks, in terms of not just the style, the look of it being more painterly, but also the introduction of we’re telling a story about life and celebrating it, and so we introduced a character in Wolf that is death incarnate and was pretty scary. One of the coolest things was the honesty to go, “If you’re going to tell a story that celebrates the light, you’ve got to go to the dark a little bit,” and how well received and how that character resonated with audiences.

Because of that trust we gained from that experience with Puss in Boots, it was great that we got to jump into Forgotten Island after that, because now we have this shorthand with them, where we go, “We’re creating a big adventure comedy.” But really, there were no challenges on, like, “We know this is going to be a nuanced ride. It’s not going to just be all levity.”

CRAWFORD: I think they knew that we could deliver the goods. I mean, it took some convincing still, because originals, right? It’s so hard to get started, and even completing a movie is a frickin miracle, right? Let alone a good one.

The Puss in Boots movie was fantastic, so I think there’s probably faith from the studio after you deliver something like that.

CRAWFORD: Forgotten Island exists because Puss in Boots existed. But for us as filmmakers and storytellers, we’re like, “Let’s go further. Let’s dig deeper emotionally. Let’s see where we can take this medium of animation.” And one of the coolest things was creating this story that takes place in the ‘90s, and then it’s centered around memories and nostalgia. We get to actually tap into a lot of things from our formative years, of even ‘90s anime.

The Movies That Inspired ‘Forgotten Island’

“You have more ways to articulate a more nuanced story.”

I really think that the Puss in Boots movie and Spider-Verse really opened the door in terms of pushing animation forward because it was taking more creative risks and doing things we hadn’t seen. Do you think that both Spider-Verse and Puss in Boots are opening the door, especially to executives, the people who are greenlighting, and showing them we can go further?

MERCADO: That is a great question, because you’re right. We’ll flat-out say confidently, especially with Spider-Verse, how inspiring that was and how groundbreaking it was. Again, we’re just such fans of animation and our peers. To see something that blows your mind, I’m like, “Hell yeah! I want more of that.” I want people to step up right and inspire each other, you know?

CRAWFORD: It definitely inspired us, and inspired so many other filmmakers to then elevate and do their own version of breaking the box of what animation is supposed to be. I think one of the coolest things, not just stylistically, is when you also just visually say animation doesn’t have to just look like this. It also opens the gates for stories that could be told and themes that can be addressed because you’re not just back to the expected.

In a weird way, it felt like having these classic CG animated movies for so long, you had a limited set of tools, and these are the tools that you can tell this story with. Then all of a sudden, when you go, “Wait, you can use anything?” You can have paint brushes, you can have an airbrush, and you can have the mix of these things. You have more ways to articulate a more nuanced story. And I think that’s been the gift that Spider-Verse brought, that came along with Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with Wild Robot, KPop Demon Hunters.

That’s another one. Not only is the story so important, but the animation of that movie and the way the eyes and the reactions, all of that stuff, is bringing in a whole new audience who are seeing animation in a new way.

CRAWFORD: It’s kind of cool because there’s been so much of what’s been done in the West, independent of what anime has been doing for decades in storytelling, like you mentioned, pushing the chibi pushed expressions and how you’d have dramatic stories in anime, and all of a sudden they turn into cute little characters, and you can do these tonal shifts.

MERCADO: Blood shoots out of her nose and waterfall tears.

CRAWFORD: [Laughs] What’s so cool with the international audience now consuming all kinds of animation is that this is a vocabulary that’s not foreign to anybody. For us, when we started Forgotten Island, we’ve been consuming so much anime for so long that we were like, “We think the Western audience is ready to actually get these references and these influences,” and that really opened the doors for us in our storytelling, of our timing, of our sensibilities. Because when you can actually break the model of a character and change them from very grounded and realistic looking, and they look cartoony and simple, and they’re missing their nose, within 13 seconds, you’re able to hit emotions and expressions that if you were grounded would take so much longer and would not have the emotional impact.

MERCADO: It wouldn’t be as interesting, too.

CRAWFORD: Yeah. It’s exciting.

‘Dragon Ball Z’ and ‘The Hangover’ Were Major Influences on ‘Forgotten Island’

Anime overall plays a key role in the film.

Image via Toei Animation

I want to get specific for fans who are not here, who have not seen what I saw, which looks awesome. Tell people about the different styles of animation and the things that they can look forward to in this movie.

MERCADO: If you’re a fan of animation in general, and the breadth of styles and storytelling tones, you’re in for a treat, because Joel and I’s sensibility is that we’re kind of maximalists, and it’s coming from a place of, “I love this. I love that. Let’s put it all in our movie!”

When specifically talking about the styles of animation, we have this amazing display of traditional CG performances, as well — subtle acting that you’ve seen in DreamWorks’ filmography — and we also have these pushed anime moments that now can be rendered in the 3D world. We also have 2D elements and classic 2D, ‘90s anime, inspired by the anime that we grew up watching. And that’s, to your point, too, people who don’t know anime think it’s all the same, but there are so many different styles of anime, and we haven’t even scratched the surface in our movie. It’s just, like, three shows and Street Fighter video games in the ‘90s.

CRAWFORD: We put all these things we love, but we make sure everything has a thematic and metaphorical reason to be in this story. One of the really fun things was going, “This is a story about memories and how we experience them and how we celebrate them and how they become part of our DNA.” We all will remember the same situation in different ways and be able to utilize the medium of animation to stylistically change it depending on who’s telling or retelling a moment, going from, yeah, we have the weredog, Raww, who’s retelling a moment, and his sensibility is he sees himself like Goku in Dragon Ball Z. He’s going Super Saiyan.

MERCADO: And he’s going Super Saiyan over a high five. It’s just his internal wish of, like, he wants to be a part of a group.

CRAWFORD: He wants a connection.

MERCADO: He wants a pack. He wants friends.

CRAWFORD: We love taking the fantastical and making it about the most relatable and nuanced thing, which is Raww wants connection. He wants a high five. When he tells a story, that high five is the biggest deal, but being able to put that into pushed anime.

There are other styles of a very narcissistic, handsome merman, who, if he retells a story, it might look like Sailor Moon. There’s going to be a lot of giant eyes with Vaseline on the lens and a lot of extra highlights in the eyes. Or there’s a giant demon baby, who is so naive and sweet, and we found a style that’s an anime called Crayon Shin-chan, which has rounded lines and a very soft, naive tone. So, being able to just find inspirations that tell your story has been so freeing.

Something that I don’t know if you guys realized, but I realized watching the footage today, is that there’s a little bit of the movie The Hangover. There’s a little bit of a plot similarity. They’re searching, and like, “What the hell did we do last night?” And these kids are searching, like, “What happened last night?” When did you guys come up with that story idea? By the way, I’m not trying to…

MERCADO: No, no, no. You’re on the money.

It’s a great plot device. When did you guys come up with that idea? It’s almost like teaching kids about a hangover — I’m joking around.

MERCADO: The great thing about that is the answer is always magic. [Laughs]

CRAWFORD: I’m excited for you to see the full movie. For us, we take this idea of being forgotten, like at the root of Jo and Raissa’s story is the fear that when you grow apart, the other friend will forget you. What we love is taking that theme, and really letting it ripple throughout the story in different tones. Like you mentioned, The Hangover is essentially a story of forgetting, but through a comedic lens. There are other inspirations we’ve taken, like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I saw a clip of that today where she’s trying to reach for the memory, but it’s disappearing.

CRAWFORD: Mhm. For us, it’s taking every angle of memories and exploring them through all of the tones of our film. So, I think it has the comedic lens, like you mentioned, but has so much more when people see the full movie.

‘Forgotten Island’s Villain Is Ripped Straight From Filipino Mythology

“When diving into this world of Filipino folklore, that was one of the creatures that really stood out to us.”

Image via Universal Pictures

One of the things that I learned today is that there are two villains in the movie, and one of them seems pretty badass.

MERCADO: The vampire demon that splits in half?

Yeah. Talk about this antagonist and powers and how this character ranks against classic villains and antagonists from animated films previously.

MERCADO: That’s an excellent question. So a Manananggal — the demon vampire — is from Filipino folklore. They have a variant of a woman demon vampire that is able to split in half, and that is called a Manananggal. When diving into this world of Filipino folklore, that was one of the creatures that really stood out to us, of “I’ve never seen a character like this!”

I’ve never seen a character like this in a major animated release from a studio.

MERCADO: To your point, that is so unique, this type of vampire, and that feels like a really badass villain to follow up our wolf. Also, on the other side of it, there are noticeable archetypes about this villain, too, of her looking like a villain, just her design, but how she ranks as a villain is that she seems like this most badass, just evil thing, but there is something deeper with this character that relates to the themes of this movie.

I’m sure this is not just a villain to be a villain. Antagonists can be badass, but they need to have a reason. You look at Hans Gruber in Die Hard. That’s one of the best antagonists in any movie, because he’s just doing it for money. He’s such a badass, but he wants the money. It’s just very simple anyway.

MERCADO: You are on the money.

But there are two villains, so who’s the other villain?

MERCADO: The other villain is Batiba. You have, on one spectrum, the vampire demon that looks evil and looks like the bad guy, and the other end of the spectrum is this character, Batiba, that looks like a giant Totoro. [Laughs] Like a cat, fluffy Totoro thing. So you have the vampire, and she’s essentially a witch that plays with magic and is obsessed with the power of memories.

CRAWFORD: Like you mentioned, you’ve never seen this in an animated form before. One of the coolest things is that just by not going to the same well of European folklore and mythology, and by just going into and celebrating a different culture’s mythology, you get these unique stories. Like Januel said, the Manananggal is one of the most popular and iconic ones, and we felt like, not just because it’s terrifying, but to represent Filipino culture, that has to be one of the ones that we showcase in this. Batiba was actually derived from a different mythological thing, which is what was called the Batibat, which is even more terrifying, but we took some liberties.

MERCADO: This creature, it is a big, heavyset creature, which our version is still this big heavyset animal. The original creature is one that, kind of like Freddy Krueger, preys on the victim’s nightmares. It preys on the nightmares, and because we’re developing this story around memories, we thought we could put our twist on this creature and make this one prey on memories.

‘Forgotten Island’ Directors on the Film’s Unique Music Choices

The directing duo also discuss how they got a clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s ‘Predator’ in the movie.

Image via Universal Pictures

There is a montage in the first act of the film where you’re seeing the girls growing up and what’s happening in their lives. It’s a really well-done montage. For a sequence like that, how long does something like that actually take to put together? I know that with that sequence, every bit you’re putting in these frames is designed to move the story along and not waste any frames, and it’s so well done, but that takes time.

MERCADO: 100%, yeah.

CRAWFORD: Aww. Thank you. That means a lot that you recognize that. Game recognize game. Even the song choice. Everything about that moment.

MERCADO: INXS.

CRAWFORD: When we started writing the story six years ago, we had written in INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart.” Thematically, it felt so right, and it’s interesting because that was a love song, but all of the lyrics and the vibe of it really represented the story of this friendship. So we carried that with us in the script until we started, years later, storyboarding it. We even had to convince story artists because it isn’t the conventional, what you might expect in the first act. It doesn’t have the pop kind of feel that you would expect in a montage of seeing them grow up together.

MERCADO: Very mundane, right? Two girls growing up and their friendship developing.

CRAWFORD: The goal was really to establish the bond that these two take on as they grew up together and what they do for each other, so that you see that they are kind of like two puzzle pieces that perfectly match each other, and neither one would be who they are in the present without that experience. So, there was a lot of reworking with our story artists, them pitching and redrawing and coming up with these moments. It’s one of those beautiful moments that, when you watch the full movie, that scene is such a setup for where the movie goes that we had to get it right.

MERCADO: To your point, too, Steven, you nailed it, where it was actually quite easy to write this because of the story we’re telling about friendship and the point of view of these two girls and the bond, but it was one of the hardest scenes to execute. We were spinning, like, “What happened? This works on paper, and this works for the movie, for sure. Why is it so frickin hard to board it and to cut it together?” That was the crazy thing. So when you asked that question, it was like that was the experience, right there. It was the hardest one to nail, to crack.

It’s just hard. Every single frame matters when you’re putting together a montage. One of the reasons why the movie works for the audience today, and I was so impressed with it, is that you’re telling a story that people can follow, but you’re breaking the conventional rules while you’re telling it. You’re not reinventing the wheel, but it’s the way you’re telling the story and the music you’re using.

CRAWFORD: Thank you.

What percentage are you done with the movie right now?

CRAWFORD: We’re pretty close. What’s going to be screened tomorrow is probably 90% finished. We actually just came from Skywalker Ranch right before. We were mixing the movie just a few days ago. For us as filmmakers, it’s so hard when we’re showing an unfinished movie, even though to everyone’s eyes, they’re probably like, “Oh, yeah, that looks mostly done.” There are some effects missing. There are some scenes where the lighting is not final. We haven’t color-finished anything.

But more importantly, the artists up at Skywalker Ranch, just to craft the sound, the original score that we have from Nathan Matthew David, the sound effects of some of these creatures and things that just bring everything to life, and sonically tell the story, for us, that’s not even represented yet. So, technically, by the middle or by the end of next month, we’ll be done with the movie. We’ve got so much to do.

It’s also a sign that the studio really believes in the film that they’re showing it at CinemaCon. They’re showing it at Annecy. They’re trying to tell people, “We have something here,” because they would not be screening this if they didn’t think they had something.

CRAWFORD: We’re so grateful for that, too, of that confidence, because we know how hard it is, also, with an original movie, to just get it to stand out, to get the audience to see it. So, on one hand, it’s terrifying for us to show an unfinished thing, but at the same time, I’m so grateful that DreamWorks and Universal were 100% behind, like, “Let’s show it.”

MERCADO: And to both of your points, it speaks to the power of storytelling. If the story is solid, if you could connect to the characters and what it’s about, then it matters at the end, but you could connect to a story at any stage, I think, if it’s a good, solid one.

CRAWFORD: We’ve actually screened our movie incredibly early, also for our cast, too. A lot of times, the cast sees the movie toward the end, when it’s mostly finished. Between H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Dave Franco, and Manny Jacinto, they’ve all seen the movie multiple times. They’ve been so engaged and locked in, invested in finding the best version of the characters. It’s been this great trust on both sides where they saw it when it was mostly storyboards so long ago, and Dave Franco’s texting thoughts and different things, and was just so invested.

Out of H.E.R. seeing the movie, emotionally, she was like, “I want to write a song.” For us, we want her for her acting performance. We would never ask her for a song. We would love one. But she was so emotionally moved watching the movie so early that we now have a song that she wrote, that also Liza Soberano’s singing on that just came organically. So, there’s been so much trust from everybody on this.

Is this song in the credits?

CRAWFORD: Yeah. It takes us out of the movie and into the credits.

There are going to be a lot of kids who watch this and are going to want to create friendship bracelets like the girls in the movie. Have you already thought about that in terms of creating something that’s movie-related that kids can get? There are going to be people who are like, “We should do that! We’re best friends.”

MERCADO: Oh yeah. The studio’s already on it.

CRAWFORD: Some of those scenes, too, that just came out of us trying to tell a story about objects, like they’re just objects until it’s a gift from somebody or means something. How do you visualize how powerful memory is? And story-wise, we came up with this bracelet that has all these charms from all these core memories. That’d be amazing to see kids celebrating, in a customized way, their own moments together.

Taylor Swift also opened the door with the bracelets. For me personally, the things that I wear are from specific things. They mean something to me.

MERCADO: We hope that Dreamworks is on the merch.

Studios seem to know how to do that. Sometimes it’s not as cool as you want it to be. That’s the issue. Sometimes, the people who are creating the merch don’t have that emotional connection, and I think for a movie like this, my best advice is to make sure that whoever is working on this watches the movie.

CRAWFORD: I think, also, it’s to understand the full scope of the audience. Because so many times, they do a great job servicing the traditional audience of younger kids, but especially as the industry evolves, as the audience is evolving, getting used to anime, 20-year-olds, young adults are wanting stuff to celebrate these movies that they’re enjoying just as much. For us, we were always saying we should have Sideshow Collectibles. We don’t have any of the Wolf from Puss in Boots.

I couldn’t believe that it’s an animated movie, but there’s a live-action clip of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie. How did you pull that off?

MERCADO: [Laughs] That iconic handshake.

Oh, so you did it for the handshake?

CRAWFORD: Did it for the handshake.

MERCADO: Well, we also did it for Predator. We love Predator.

CRAWFORD: It wasn’t easy to get through legal and everything. But we were always trying to make sure, like, how do we tell this story so it feels like everything in it has a purpose and means something? It was just us writing from our formative years.

MERCADO: What we love.

CRAWFORD: Yeah. We wanted an emotional symbol for the power of these girls’ friendships, and thought, wouldn’t that be cool if little Jo and Raissa were clasping hands with just as much machismo as Carl Weathers and Arnold Schwarzenegger because of the pact of their friendship? So we just wrote that into the script and then found out how hard it was to get through legal.

CRAWFORD: And that feeling, too, that I think a lot of us were probably too young to see Predator, but how formative movies like this are when you see them when you’re young. “That movie was not made for me, but I’m glad I saw it, and it’s totally shaped my sensibilities of the movies that I love.”

Forgotten Island opens in theaters on September 25.

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Release Date

September 24, 2026

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Director

Januel Mercado, Joel Crawford

Writers

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Joel Crawford, Januel Mercado

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