Forgotten Island directors Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado opened up about Liza Soberano's audition for the role of Raissa in the upcoming animated film.
"When Liza came in, first we had some auditions that were sent in on tapes, and she sent one of actually auditioning for Jo," Joel shared.
According to Joel, it did not take long for the team to see that Liza was a natural fit for Raissa.
"When we saw it, we were like, 'She's Raissa!' And actually [Januel] found out from Liza later, that while she was doing the audition, she goes, 'I think, I'm Raissa!' Like so much of her personality," he recalled.
He added that Liza’s audition stood out because she was able to bring both humor and emotion to the character.
"She had us laughing from the very beginning and in her audition, she made us cry. And so, we were just like she's so perfect."
Januel, meanwhile, revealed that Liza’s early performance was already so strong that some parts of her audition eventually made it into the final film.
"A lot of her performance in that audition too, I think, made it to the final film. That's how good she was early on," he shared.
He also reflected on the involvement of many Filipino artists in the project, describing it as one of the most exciting parts of making the film.
"And I think one of the coolest experiences since creating this movie, developing this project, the whole community of this talented Filipino artists that have been around and are upcoming, are converging together because... all these artists now, we have BINI and SB19, they are also in our movie and contributing musically."
READ: Liza Soberano reflectson why she connected with her character in 'Forgotten Island'
He added: "This is a moment right now that we're riding this moment together, and on top of that this moment is becoming a movement."
In Forgotten Island, Liza voices Raissa, who becomes trapped on Nakali, a mysterious island that can take away memories, together with her childhood best friend Jo, voiced by Grammy-winning artist H.E.R. As they try to make their way home, the two face a dangerous journey that could force them to sacrifice some of their most treasured memories.