Emmy, Grammy and Oscar-winning singer H.E.R. is the latest of professional musicians to star in their own film, and I love that it’s for DreamWorks. The “Best Part” singer is in one of the latest 2026 movie releases, Forgotten Island, which arrives in theaters this weekend. The family-friendly adventure sees the multi-hyphenate voicing one of the leading roles of Jo, and I love that the filmmakers snuck in a little tribute to her music career.
When CinemaBlend spoke to H.E.R., she confirmed the Easter Egg for us after I thought I saw it early in the film. As she told us:
It's like in the beginning when they show the charm bracelet and they're adding it throughout the years of their childhood. And then, there's a guitar pick and it says H.E.R. It's a little Easter Egg in there. It was very sweet.
Forgotten Island follows the friendship of H.E.R.’s Jo and Liza Soberano’s Raissa from elementary school to being seniors in high school. One major part of their relationship is the charm bracelets they continue to add to as they collect memories together. During a montage where the film is showing the audience all the charms from their life thus far, you can see the lime green pick with H.E.R. on it.
So, did H.E.R. have anything to do with that nod to her work? Here’s what she said:
They put it in there, and then I didn't know until we saw one of the first iterations of the movie.
I love it! Plenty of animated movies, including the Spider-Verse films, are known to feature all sorts of personal Easter Eggs, so I love that H.E.R. and her fans get this little homage to the beloved artist. Forgotten Island comes from the filmmakers of the very critically-acclaimed Puss In Boots: The Last Wish Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and, given the care the two put into their work, I'm not surprised that they'd nod at one of their leads in such a way.
This latest animated movie is inspired by spooky Filipino folklore, and Mercado and Crawford were inspired to make it because they both have roots in the culture. Januel is Filipino American, while Joel’s wife is Filipina. In the new film, Jo and Raissa discover the titular Forgotten Island on the night before Raissa is supposed to leave their home of the Philippines for college in America.
Ultimately, Raissa and Jo meet all sorts of creatures that are synonymous with Filipino culture. The cast also includes Dave Franco as a were-aspin (half man, half aspin) named Raww, while Jenny Slate and Manny Jacinto voice demons on the island. Meanwhile, Jo Koy plays a tree giant named Datu, Ronny Chieng plays a Duwende named King Truffle Wuffle and Lea Salonga plays the terrifying manananggal, which is a vampire who can separate her top and bottom half of her body from each other.
Forgotten Island tells a fantastical story, but it's all rooted in tangible themes like loyalty and friendship. It's definitely worth the watch, and you can check it out in theaters. Also, during your screening keep an eye out for that H.E.R. Easter Egg!
